INHIBITORS OF DE-NOVO FATTY-ACID BIOSYNTHESIS IN HIGHER-PLANTS

The present knowledge of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis in plastids of higher plants is reviewed with respect to its inhibition by various synthetic and natural xenobiotics. Certain enzymatic steps in the biosynthetic sequence, the acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS), the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), the beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthases (KAS I and III) and the plastidic pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (pPDHC), are specifically inhibited by different synthetic compounds (ACS by alkyl-adenylates; ACC by herbicides, pPDHC by acetylmethyl-phosphinate) or by naturally occurring antibiotics (KAS enzymes by cerulenin and thiolactomycin). These xenobiotics can be used in a better understanding of the regulation of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis and the enzymes involved.