Synthesis in vitro of cholesterol by mitochondria in the shrimp Penaeus aztecus (Ives).

The incorporation of [ 14C ]-acetate, [ 14C ]-mevalonate and [ 14C ]-desmosterol into cholesterol in the muscle mitochondria of the brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus (Ives) is more as compared to that in hepatopancreas. [ I4C ]-Desmosterol is more efficiently incorporated into cholesterol in comparison with [ 14C ]-acetate. The muscle mitochondria from males incorporated more [ 14C ]-mevalonate into cholesterol than those from females, while the converse is true in the hepatopancreatic mitochondria.