Question

Plamitate uniformly labeled with tritium (3H) to a specific radioactivity of 3.0×·10^8 counts per minute per micromole was added to a mitochondrial preparation that oxidized 3H-palmitate to acetyl-CoA. The experiment calls for hydrolysis of the recovered acetyl-CoA to acetate and determination of the specific radioactivity of the acetate in counts per minute per micromole (cpm/μmol). Assuming that the palmitate is oxidized by the β-oxidation pathway and that there is no unlabeled fatty acid to dilute the tritium, what would be the expected specific radioactivity of the acetate? Show your reasoning and calculations.

Answer 1

Plamitate uniformly labeled with tritium (3H) to a specific radioactivity of 3.0×·10^8 counts per minute per micromole was added to a mitochondrial preparation that oxidized 3H-palmitate to acetyl-CoA. The experiment calls for hydrolysis of the recovered acetyl-CoA to acetate and determination of the specific radioactivity of the acetate in counts per minute per micromole (cpm/μmol). Assuming that the palmitate is oxidized by the β-oxidation pathway and that there is no unlabeled fatty acid to dilute the tritium, what would be the expected specific radioactivity of the acetate? Show your reasoning and calculations.