Abstract
Chain elongation of fusaric acid and related compounds in the presence of rat liver preparations was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The mitochondrial fraction catalyzed the elongation of the CoA esters of fusaric acid and 5-butyl-2-pyrimidinecarboxylic acid utilizing acetyl-CoA as a C2 donor. The microsomal fraction failed to afford elongation products. However, when the CoA ester of 3-(5-butyl-2-pyrimidinyl)-3-hydroxypropionic acid was incubated in the presence of the mitochondria) or the microsomal fraction, the corresponding αβ-unsaturated and saturated metabolites were identified in both cases, suggesting that the microsomal fraction could not catalyze the condensation or the keto-reduction of these heteroaromatic carboxylic acids.
