Biosynthesis of sitosterol in tissue cultures of Rabdosia japonica hara and ergosterol in yeast from [2-13C,2-2H3]acetate

The fate of the hydrogen atoms originating from [2-13C,2-2H3]acetate was investigated in the biosynthesis of sitosterol (5) in cultured cells of Rabdosia japonica Hara and ergosterol (6) in yeast and the 1,2-hydride shifts, 20-H from C-17 and 17-H from C-13, were verified.