Temperature-mediated hyperinduction of fatty acid desaturation in pre-existing and newly formed fatty acids synthesized endogenously in Bacillus megaterium.
3H-labedeled fatty acids synthesized endogenously by Bacillus megaterium ATCC 14581 growing at 35 degrees C in the presence of L-[G-3H]valine exhibited the same time-course of hyperinduced desaturation following a temperature decrease to 20 degrees C as was observed previously with exogenously supplied 14C-labeled fatty acids. Radioactive fatty acids synthesized in the presence of [U-14C]glucose during hyperinduction at 20 degrees C following a shift-down from 35 degrees C were desaturated at the same relative rate as 14C-labeled fatty acids synthesized previously at 35 degrees C, suggesting that the newly synthesized fatty acids equilibrate with a large portion of the preexisting moieties before becoming susceptible to desaturation.