Gorgosterol biosynthesis: localization of squalene formation in the zooxanthellar component of various gorgonians.

Four species of gorgonians: three related pseudoplexaurids Pseudoplexaura porosa, P. flagellosa and P. wagenaari; and the unrelated Pseudopterogorgia americana, are sources of zooxanthellae capable, in purified broken cell preparations, of converting [14C]labeled farnesyl pyrophosphate into squalene. More extensive studies with P. porosa and P. americana zooxanthellae preparations characterize the conversion as enzymatic and demonstrate farnesyl pyrophosphate and reduced pyridine nucleotide as substrates. NADPH and NADH are essentially equivalent. Anaerobic conditions are not required. Despite numerous attempts zooxanthellae formation of sterols, including gorgosterol, from radioactive substrates was unsuccessful. By enzyme studies, we can show only the conversion of mevalonate into squalene as a zooxanthellae capability.