[Studies on esterification of fatty acids in rat liver mitochondria (author's transl)]

Esterification of fatty acids in rat liver mitochondria was studied following portal or intraperitoneal administration of various 14C-fatty acids. Incorporation of the labelled fatty acid was most marked into phospholipids (especially, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine) and triglycerides in intact mitochondria and the inner mitochondrial membranes. In contrast, in the outer membranes the injected fatty acids remained free without esterification. It is concluded that esterification of fatty acids occurs in the inner membranes of rat liver mitochondria.