Participation of Sulfhydryl Groups in Fatty Acid Synthesis by Chloroplast Preparations

Abstract

Among the practical problems encountered in the study of acetate metabolism by chloroplasts (23), was the fact that chloroplast preparations rapidly lost their ability to catalyze the incorporation of acetate into fatty acids. This problem has prevented the fractionation and purification of the system. With a view to stabilizing the chloroplast system, an investigation was undertaken to determine the cause of the aging deterioration and to prevent it. This has led us to the study of sulfhydr-vl groups required for fatty acid synthesis by chloroplasts.