Chapter 21, Problem 5P

Summary Introduction

To determine: Thermodynamic advantage of the process in which four carbon-unit is synthesized from the combination of a two-carbon unit an d a three carbon unit, with the release of CO₂  over the process of simple combination of two two-carbon units, is to be determined.

Introduction:

Enzyme beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase is involved in synthesis of fatty acid. The enzyme catalyzes the “Claisen condensation” reaction between acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA, which results in production of palmitic acid followed by the production of sphingosines.