The Incorporation of Glycolytic Intermediates into Lipids by Plastids Isolated from the Developing Endosperm of Castor Oil Seeds (Ricinus communis L.)

Plastids were isolated from the developing endosperm of Ricinuscommunis L. and purified by rate-zonal centrifugation on discontinuoussucrose gradients. Assay conditions were optimized for the uptakeand incorporation of ¹⁴C-acetate into lipids by intact plastids.Using the optimized conditions, the uptake and incorporationof several ¹⁴C-glycolytic intermediates into lipids were examined.Neither sucrose nor glucose-6-phosphate was incorporated intolipids. In order of increasing magnitude of incorporation, glucose,fructose, 3-phosphoglycerate, acetate, and pyruvate were metabolizedto chloroform-methanol (2: 1 v/v) soluble products. Pyridoxal-5'-phosphateinhibited the incorporation of 3-phosphoglycerate into lipidswhereas -cyano-4 hydroxycinnamate was without effect on pyruvateincorporation. Avidin and cerulenin did not inhibit the incorporationof acetate into lipids by intact plastids. Key words: Ricinus communis, Plastids, Lipid synthesis, Glycolytic intermediates