title: The characterization and stereochemistry of biosynthesis of dolichols in rat liver.
abstract: It was shown that rat liver contains a series of dolichols with chain lengths of from 17 (or possibly 16) to 21 isoprene residues, the main constituent of the mixture being dolichol-18. By using double-labelled radioactive mevalonates it was demonstrated that each of these dolichols possesses three biogenetically trans-isoprene residues and that the remaining residues are biogenetically cis, suggesting that these polyprenols are biosynthesized from all-trans-farnesyl pyrophosphate by the cis additions of isoprene residues, followed by saturation of the alpha-isoprene residue. The results obtained with these radioactive mevalonates also indicated that the activity of isopentenylpyrophosphate isomerase is low relative to the activity of prenyltransferase in rat liver.
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002845:Chromatography; D011756:Diphosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D005204:Farnesol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007535:Isomerases / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008798:Mevalonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013729:Terpenes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014166:Transferases / Q000378:metabolism; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D011756:Diphosphates; D013729:Terpenes; D014316:Tritium; D005204:Farnesol; D014166:Transferases; D007535:Isomerases; D008798:Mevalonic Acid