The effects of cerulenin on lipid metabolism in vitro in cellular preparations from the rat.

The effects of the fatty acid-like antibiotic, cerulenin, on fatty acid biosynthesis in preparations of rat adipocytes and mammary cells in vitro have been investigated. Synthesis of palmitic acid was most strongly inhibited, although the magnitude of the effect was dependent on the nature of the tissue, and was especially diminished in the larger adipocytes from older rats. Cerulenin had no effect on the chain-elongation of preformed fatty acids in any of the tissues studied. Some inhibition of the esterification of preformed palmitic acid was also observed, but this appeared to be due to disruption of the cells rather than direct inhibition of the acyltransferases. It is concluded that cerulenin is a valuable experimental tool in studies of lipogenesis in preparations of intact mammalian cells in vitro.