Oxidation of Aldehydes by Mitochondria of Rat Tissues

During the course of a study of the structural requirements for oxidation of fatty acids by mitochondria of rat tissue, it was found that systems forti fied for optimal fatty acid oxidation readily oxidized long and short chain aldehydes. In view of the findings by Stadtman and Barker (1) that acetaldehyde oxidation by Clostridium lcluyveri results in the formation of acetyl phosphate, the possibility was envisioned that oxidation of an aldehyde by mitochondria of animal tissues might lead to an active fatty acid derivative, and this process was studied in the hope that information might thus be secured on the mechanism of fatty acid activation. Although this hope was not realized, it was felt that the data obtained are of sufficient interest to warrant publication.