Methyl cis-9,10-methyleneoctadecanoate

The fatty acid of this cyclopropanoid fatty acid methyl ester is a major constituent of some seed oils and also occurs in some bacterial membranes but is not synthesized or used by humans.1 Dihydrosterculic acid is a major constituent of the phospholipids of many trypanosomatid flagellates including some pathogenic species. 10-thiastearic acid has been found to be a potent inhibitor of dihydrosterculic acid synthesis and has been used as a therapeutic drug against these organisms.2 The enzyme sadenosylmethionine donates a methylene group to oleic acid in the sn-1 position of phosphatidylethanolamine to form dihydrosterculic acid. Dihydrosterculic acid is further desaturated to sterculic acid by cyclopropane desaturase.