Acyl-CoA desaturase 3 (Scd3)

Stearyl-CoA desaturase that uses O(2) and electrons from reduced cytochrome b5 to introduce the first double bond to saturated fatty acyl-CoA substrates. Catalyzes the insertion of a cis double bond in the delta-9 place into fatty acyl-CoA substrates including palmitoyl-CoA (PubMed:16443825, PubMed:26098370).

Has a strong preference for saturated fatty acids with chain lengths of 14 or 16 carbon atoms (C14:0 and C16:0), and contains only very low activity with stearatate (C18:0) (PubMed:16443825, PubMed:26098370). Required for the biosynthesis of membrane phospholipids, cholesterol esters and triglycerides (By similarity).