Biotin in the synthesis of fatty acid and cholesterol by mammalian liver

Abstract

Wakil, Titchener and Gibson1 have shown that the formation of malonate from acetate and carbon dioxide is an early step in the synthesis of fatty acids in cell-free preparations of pigeon liver. They have also shown that biotin is necessary for this reaction, since it is inhibited by avidin, a specific inhibitor of biotin. By observing the effect of avidin, we have been able to show that, in cell-free preparations of rat liver, biotin is also required for the synthesis from acetate of fatty acids, but is not required for synthesis of cholesterol. It is thus possible to inhibit one biosynthetic pathway without influencing the other. © 1960 Nature Publishing Group.