A-Amino-/3-ketoadipic acid

It has been demonstrated that succinate is first converted to succinyl-CoA in the synthesis of a-amino-/3-ketoadipic acid and that this condenses with the pyridoxal phosphate aldimine derivative of glycine to form 2-aminolevulinic acid and CO2 S9). 

The condensation of succinate with glycine was postulated by Shemin and Russell (29) to form a-amino-/3-ketoadipic acid. This compoimd de-carboxylates spontaneously to form 3-AL (SO). 5-AL when, supplied to duck erythrocytes was shown to be incorporated into heme more readily than succinate or glycine. With labeled 8-AL the tagged C atoms were found in the predicted positions in the porphyrins by the methods described above (SI). 

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