Biosynthesis of presqualene pyrophosphate by liver microsomes.

Microsomes from rat liver have been shown to synthesize a squalene precursor from farnesyl pyrophosphate. This intermediate is identical with presqualene pyrophosphate, a 30-carbon cyclopropane containing pyrophosphate ester that had previously been isolated from yeast. The squalene precursor was found to be tightly, but not covalently, bound to microsomes.