The characteristics of some components of the fatty acid synthetase system in the plastids from the mesocarp of avocado (Persea americana) fruit.

Preparations of NADH-specific and NADPH-specific 3-oxoacyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] reductase enzymes (EC 1.1.1.100), enoyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] reductase (EC 1.3.1.9) and [acyl-carrier-protein] malonyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.39) have been purified from preparations of avocado mesocarp plastids and characterised. The enzymes are quite similar in molecular and kinetic characteristics to analogous enzymes known in Escherichia coli and Euglena and are clearly components of a type-II fatty acid synthetase system.