The absence of cholesterol synthesis in the crab, Cancer pagurus L.

Abstract

1. 1. The incorporation of acetate-1-C14 and mevalonic acid-2-C14 into lipids of the crab, Cancer pagurus L., was studied. No evidence for the incorporation of these compounds into squalene or cholesterol was obtained.

2. 2. It was concluded that the crab lacks the ability to synthetize squalene or cholesterol and that cholesterol which is the predominant sterol present in the tissues is of dietary origin.