Fatty acid biosynthesis in wallerian degeneration of rat sciatic nerve

Abstract
In‐vitro fatty acid biosynthesis was studied in normal rat sciatic nerve and during wallerian degeneration. Normal nerve incorporated 1,3‐C14‐malonyl‐CoA and 1‐C14‐acetyl‐CoA into fatty acids by a de‐novo biosynthetic pathway. The reaction product with highest radioactivity was palmitic acid, and the free fatty acids of nerve contained 90% of the total fatty acid label. During wallerian degeneration, there was a rapid increase of fatty acid biosynthesis that reached a peak between 16 and 24 days after nerve section. Values declined to normal levels at approximately 50 days.