A method for the chemical synthesis of 14C-labeled fatty acyl coenzyme A's of high specific activity.

A simple and reliable method, based on that described by W. Seubert (1960, Biochem Prep. 7, 80-83), has been developed for the chemical synthesis of radioactive acyl coenzyme A’s. I-14C-labeled fatty acids (palmitic, oleic, and linoleic) are converted to their acyl chlorides with oxalyl chloride. The [l-14C]acyl chlorides are then condensed with a twoto three-fold molar excess of coenzyme A in a bicarbonate-buffered tetrahydrofuran solution to form the corresponding [l-14C]acyl coenzyme A’s. The overall yields are near 75%, and the purities are greater than 90% based on spectral, chromatographic, and enzymatic properties.