Metabolism of acyl-CoA in the developing rat brain

The enzymic hydrolysis of oleoyl-CoA in rat brain cytosol and the acyltransferase-mediated transfer of acyl-CoA to 1-acyl-glycerophosphates and 1-acyl-glycerophosphocholines by brain microsomes were examined at various stages of brain development. Although the amount of cytosolic protein (per gram weight) in brain decreased steadily with age during development, specific activity of the acyl-CoA hydrolase in this fraction increased nearly onefold during the first 2 weeks of age before exhibiting a steady decline until maturation. The amount of microsomes isolated from brain increased during the 1st week of age but started to decline steadily thereafter. Specific activity of the oleoyl-CoA transfer to 1-acylphospholipids by brain microsomes seemed to remain rather constant throughout the 1st month of age but they showed an increase at around 29 days of age before dropping to a steady level after reaching adult age.