Fat metabolism in higher plants: metabolism of medium chain fatty acids.

Cell free preparations of avocado mesocarp and spinach leaf tissue rapidly convert lauryl CoA to DL-3-hydroxyl lauric acid as well as 2-, and 3-dodecanoic acids. The conversion does not occur under anaerobic conditions unless a suitable redox carrier such as ferredoxin is present. H2 18O is incorporated into the 3-hydroxyl function, but O2(18) is not. The characteristics of this system are presented and a possible function of this system is proposed.