title: Palmitoylcarnitine, a surface-active metabolite.
abstract: Palmitoylcarnitine is a well-known intermediate in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Less known are its properties as a surfactant, with a capacity to solubilize biological membranes similar to that of many synthetic detergents used in the biochemical laboratory. Some of the physico-chemical properties of palmitoylcarnitine may help to explain the need for coenzyme A-carnitine-coenzyme A acyl exchange during mitochondrial fatty acid import. The amphiphilic character of palmitoylcarnitine may also explain its proposed involvement in the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Grupo Biomembranas, Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad del País Vasco, Aptdo, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Goñi
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Requero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002331:Carnitine / Q000378:metabolism; D003065:Coenzyme A / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D010172:Palmitoylcarnitine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism; D013501:Surface-Active Agents
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D010172:Palmitoylcarnitine; D002331:Carnitine; D003065:Coenzyme A