Studies on the biosynthesis of cholesterol. 4. Degradation of rings C and D

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Abstract
Cholesterol biosynthesized by liver slices from (carboxyl-C14) acetate and from (Me-C14) acetate was chemically degraded by 2 diverging sequences of reactions. From these 2 degradations, 6 fragments were obtained. The structure of one fragment was confirmed by synthesis. From these fragments, 1-C compounds originating from specified C atoms of cholesterol were prepared and their radioactivity was measured. It is concluded that in cholesterol biosynthesized from acetate C-8, C-11, C-12, C-14 and C-16 originate from the carboxyl group of acetate and C-9, C-13, C-15, C-17 and C-18 originate from the methyl group. The origin of all 27 carbon atoms in cholesterol biosynthesized from acetate is now known. The results are shown to harmonize with the current theory that squalene is a precursor of cholesterol in the animal body.
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