Biosynthesis of lipids by salmon sperm from pyruvate, acetate and glyoxylate

Abstract 1. 1. When salmon sperm were incubated with C 14 -pyruvate, -acetate, or -glyoxylate labeled in different positions, any carbon atom in any position of these substrates could go into lipids, and the incorporation was highest with glyoxylate, less with pyruvate and least with acetate. 2. 2. Incorporation into fatty acids and the non-saponifiable fraction followed the same order, although these two fractions comprised a relatively small part of the total lipid extract. Only label from glyoxylate was detectable in cholesterol. 3. 3. Malonate enhanced the biosynthesis of lipids by sperm from all substrates studied. 4. 4. Succinate depressed the incorporation of pyruvate and acetate into lipids by sperm, whereas it promoted incorporation of labeled carbon from glyoxylate into lipids.