Aspects of metabolism related to the occurrence of skin lesions in biotin-deficient chicks.

1. Chicks were fed on biotin-deficient low- and high-protein diets supplemented with increasing concentrations of biotin. 2. Biotin deficiency decreased hepatic activity of pyruvate carboxylase [EC 6.4.1.1] but activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase [EC 6.4.1.2] was comparatively unaffected. 3. Increasing dietary protein increased the severity of biotin deficiency as assessed by skin lesions and decreased plasma biotin concentrations. 4. The severity of the skin lesions over all the treatments was most closely related to plasma biotin concentration.