SPECIFICITY OF THE ENZYME SYSTEM PRODUCING LONG CHAIN ALDEHYDES IN THE GREEN ALGA, ULVA PERTUSA

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0031-9422(89)80021-4

The greater part of the enzyme activity producing long chain aldehydes (LCA) such as (8Z)-heptadecanal, (8Z,11Z)-heptadecadienal, (8Z,11Z,14Z)-heptadecatrienal was found in the 4000 g precipitate of homogenates of the green alga, Ulva pertusa.The LCA-forming activity was readily solubilized from the precipitate by addition of 0.2percent Triton X-100.The solubilized LCA-forming activity showed an optimum pH in the range 8.5-9.5. α-Linolenic acid was a very good substrate, but γ-linolenic acid was a poor substrate for the activity.Linoleic acid was the best substrate of an entire series of (ζ6Z, ζ9Z)-dienoic acids, in which the chain length varied from C13 to C20.Key Word Index - Ulva pertusa; green alga; odour; aldehydes; fatty acids; substrate specificity.