Incorporation of [4-H-2(6),O-18(2)]-valine into delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipoyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine (ACV), by intact cells of Cephalosporium acremonium, demonstrated the intracellular exchange of one and both valine oxygen atoms. Incubation of [O-18(2)]-valine with the purified ACV synthetase from C. acremonium gave exclusive incorporation of a single O-18 label into ACV, consistent with the effectively non-reversible formation of a covalent valinoyl-ACV synthetase intermediate under in vitro conditions.