Characterization of a long-chain 14 C-labelled alcohol resulting from a plant enzyme-catalysed reaction with S-adenosyl(methyl- 14 C)methionine.

A particulate enzyme from Phaseolus aureus seedlings catalyses the incorporation of radioactivity from S-adenosyl[Me-(14)C]methionine into several lipid acceptors present in the enzyme preparation. The structure of one of the radioactive lipids has been elucidated by using mass, n.m.r. and i.r. spectral data. This compound has a molecular formula C(28)H(57)OH, is a saturated primary alcohol and has a single branch of one methyl group in the interior of the hydrocarbon chain. The results of a Kuhn-Roth degradation demonstrate that the branch methyl group is the one derived from S-adenosylmethionine.