title: In Vivo Studies of the Biosynthesis of [alpha]-Eleostearic Acid in the Seed of Momordica charantia L.
abstract: In vivo radiotracer experiments using 14C-labeled acetate, oleate, linoleate, and linolenate were conducted to investigate the biosynthesis of [alpha]-eleostearic acid in the seeds of Momordica charantia. With the exception of [14C]linolenate, all of these precursors radioactively labeled [alpha]-eleostearate. Kinetics of the time course of metabolism of the radioactive precursors indicate that linoleate is the acyl precursor of [alpha]-eleostearate and that its conversion to [alpha]-eleostearate occurs while the acyl moiety is esterified to PC. Pulse-chase experiments with 14C-labeled acetate or linoleate provided additional corroborative evidence that linoleoyl PC is the precursor of [alpha]-eleostearoyl PC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (L.L.,E.G.H., B.J.N.) and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (E.G.H., B.J.N.), Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011.
authors.forename: L.
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: E. G.
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: B. J.
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Nikolau