PRODUCTION OF FORMYL-COA DURING PEROXISOMAL ALPHA-OXIDATION OF 3-METHYL-BRANCHED FATTY-ACIDS

alpha-Oxidation of 3-methyl-substituted fatty acids was studied in pur ified rat liver peroxisomes. The experiments revealed that formyl-CoA is formed during the alpha-oxidation process, The amount of formyl-CoA found constituted 2-5% of the amount of formate formed. Under the con ditions used, no activation of exogenously added formate occurred in p urified peroxisomes, whereas 95.5% of added synthetic formyl-CoA was c onverted to formate, These data indicate that during alpha-oxidation f irst formyl-CoA is formed, which is then hydrolysed to formate. (C) 19 97 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.