The stereochemistry of palmitoyl-ACP Delta(4) desaturase-mediated dehydrogenation has been examined by tracking the fate of deuterium atoms located on stereospecifically monodeuterated substrates-(4S)- and (4R)-[4-(2)H(1)]-palmitoyl-ACP and (5S)- and (5R)-[5-(2)H(1)]-palmitoyl-ACP. It was found that the introduction of the (Z)-double bond between C-4 and C-5 of a palmitoyl substrate occurs with pro-R enantioselectivity-a result which matches that obtained for a closely related homolog-castor stearoyl-ACP Delta(9) desaturase. These data show that despite the difference in regioselectivity between the two enzymes, the stereochemistry of hydrogen removal is conserved.