Hydrocarbons in pyrethrum cuticle wax

Biosynthesis of Long-Chain Hydrocarbons. I. Incorporation of L-Valine, L-Threonine, L-Isoleucine, and L-Leucine into Specific Branched-Chain Hydrocarbons in Tobacco*

“…scheme for the biosynthesis of branched-chain fatty acids presented in earlier papers (Kaneda, 1963b(Kaneda, ,c, 1966. Steps a4, b4, and c4 are in accord with the generally accepted hypothesis that there is a close relationship between fatty acid and hydrocarbon metabolism, and that the common fatty acids, myristic, palmitic, and stearic, or biologically equivalent forms, are involved as precursors at a certain stage in the biosynthesis of longchain hydrocarbons (C25-C3S) (Channon and Chibnall, 1929;Chibnall and Piper, 1934;Wanless et al, 1955). Similarly, branched-chain fatty acids with carbon num-bers in the range 14-18 would be involved in the biosynthesis of branched-chain hydrocarbons.…”

Biochemistry of long-chain, nonisoprenoid hydrocarbons. IV. Characteristics of synthesis by a cell-free preparation of Sarcina lutea

“…Imidazole inhibits a oxidation of fatty acids in plants (Martin and Stumpf, 1959), and in an elongation-decarboxylation pathway for conversion of fatty acids into hydrocarbons as proposed to occur in plants (e.g., Kolattukudy, 1967Kolattukudy, , 1968, a oxidation followed by decarboxylation and reduction could be possible terminating steps of the synthesis (Wanless et al, 1955;Stumpf, 1965). With broccoli leaves, imidazole caused a 30-100% stimulation of the incorporation of acetate into hydrocarbon (Kolattukudy, 1966) which might be explained by the inhibition of the metabolism of fatty acids by a oxidation with the concomitant diversion of fatty acids into hydrocarbons.…”

Chemistry of the Lipides

“…Chibnall, El Mangouri & Piper (187) therefore re-examined this wax and established that only odd-numbered paraffins from C2I to C35 were present. The picture provided by Chibnall and co-workers of the com position of plant and insect waxes, however, while perhaps correct in broad outline, may not be true in regard to the minor constituents, as Wanless, King & Ritter (188) found in pyrethrum wax all of the normal odd-and even-numbered hydrocarbons from C24 to Cas, the presence of which was confirmed by mass-spectrometer analysis.…”