A simple radioisotopic assay for malonyl-CoA is described. The method is based on the
malonyl-CoA-dependent incorporation of labeled acetyl-CoA into palmitic acid catalyzed by
fatty acid synthetase in the presence of NADPH. Its main advantages over the more
conventional spectrophotometric procedure is that it is extremely sensitive and allows the
simultaneous determination of picomole quantities of malonyl-CoA in multiple tissue
extracts. It should prove particularly suitable for studies on the regulation of lipid metabolism …