A SOLUBLE PREPARATION FROM DEVELOPING GROUNDNUT SEEDS (ARACHIS-HYPOGAEA) CATALYZES DE-NOVO SYNTHESIS OF LONG-CHAIN FATTY-ACIDS

A 100,000 x g supernatant fraction prepared from developing groundnut seeds (30-35 days after flowering) catalyzed the synthesis of fatty ac ids from [1-C-14]acetate at a rate of 120nmoles of acetate incorporate d per hr per gram fresh weight of tissue. 90 % of this incorporated la bel was associated with fatty acids. The major fatty acids formed were stearic-(77 %) and palmitic acids (14 %) with 4 % of oleic acid. The fatty acid synthetase activity was stable when stored at 0-4 degrees C for at least fifteen days. It is concluded from these results that ac etyl-coA carboxylase and all the enzymes of fatty acid synthetase from developing groundnut seeds are soluble.