Fatty acid elongation by a particulate fraction from germinating pea

The synthesis of fatty acids from [14C]malonyl-CoA was studied with a high-speed particulate fraction from germinating pea (Pisum sativum). The variety used (Feltham First) produced mainly saturated fatty acids with palmitate (30--40%) and stearate (40--60%) predominating. Several palmitate-containing lipids stimulated overall synthesis and, in addition, increased the percentage of label in stearate. The production of stearate was severely inhibited by preincubation of the microsomal fraction with snake venom phospholipase A2 or by incubation with Rhizopus arrhizus lipase. Addition of a series of di-saturated phosphatidylcholines, with different acyl constituents, resulted in stimulation of overall fatty acid synthesis as well as an increase in the radiolabelling of the fatty acid two carbon atoms longer than the acyl chain added. This chain lengthening of fatty acids donated from phosphatidylcholine was due to the action of both fatty acid synthetase and palmitate elongase. The latter would utilize dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine and was sensitive to arsenite whereas fatty acid synthetase would use dilauroyl phosphatidylcholine and was sensitive to cerulenin. The results are discussed in relation to previous data obtained in vivo on plant fatty acid synthesis and current suggestions for the role of phosphatidylcholine in this process.