Amino acid synthesis, branched chain

Biological Activity. We have shown that the site of biochemical action for sul fonylureas is the enzyme acetolactate synthase (1,2). This enzyme catalyzes the first common step in the biosynthesis of the essential branched chain amino acids valine and isoleucine. Plants must synthesize these amino acids for protein synthesis and subsequent growth. Therefore, this is a vulnerable or critical... 

Figure 3. Branched chain amino acid and pantothenate synthesis. TD and ALS are the enzymes threonine deaminase and acetolactate synthase, respectively.

Herbicides also inhibit 5- (9/-pymvylshikiniate synthase, a susceptible en2yme in the pathway to the aromatic amino acids, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan, and to the phenylpropanes. Acetolactate synthase, or acetohydroxy acid synthase, a key en2yme in the synthesis of the branched-chain amino acids isoleucine and valine, is also sensitive to some herbicides. Glyphosate (26), the sulfonylureas (136), and the imida2oles (137) all inhibit specific en2ymes in amino acid synthesis pathways. 

In the case of hyperphenylalaninaemia, which occurs ia phenylketonuria because of a congenital absence of phenylalanine hydroxylase, the observed phenylalanine inhibition of proteia synthesis may result from competition between T.-phenylalanine and L-methionine for methionyl-/RNA. Patients sufferiag from maple symp urine disease, an inborn lack of branched chain oxo acid decarboxylase, are mentally retarded unless the condition is treated early enough. It is possible that the high level of branched-chain amino acids inhibits uptake of L-tryptophan and L-tyrosiae iato the brain. Brain iajury of mice within ten days after thek bkth was reported as a result of hypodermic kijections of monosodium glutamate (MSG) (0.5—4 g/kg). However, the FDA concluded that MSG is a safe kigredient, because mice are bom with underdeveloped brains regardless of MSG kijections (106). 

Cyanohydrin Synthesis. Another synthetically useful enzyme that catalyzes carbon—carbon bond formation is oxynitnlase (EC 4.1.2.10). This enzyme catalyzes the addition of cyanides to various aldehydes that may come either in the form of hydrogen cyanide or acetone cyanohydrin (152—158) (Fig. 7). The reaction constitutes a convenient route for the preparation of a-hydroxy acids and P-amino alcohols. Acetone cyanohydrin [75-86-5] can also be used as the cyanide carrier, and is considered to be superior since it does not involve hazardous gaseous HCN and also virtually eliminates the spontaneous nonenzymatic reaction. (R)-oxynitrilase accepts aromatic (97a,b), straight- (97c,e), and branched-chain aUphatic aldehydes, converting them to (R)-cyanohydrins in very good yields and high enantiomeric purity (Table 10). 

It is also possible to prepare them from amino acids by the self-condensation reaction (3.12). The PAs (AABB) can be prepared from diamines and diacids by hydrolytic polymerization [see (3.12)]. The polyamides can also be prepared from other starting materials, such as esters, acid chlorides, isocyanates, silylated amines, and nitrils. The reactive acid chlorides are employed in the synthesis of wholly aromatic polyamides, such as poly(p-phenyleneterephthalamide) in (3.4). The molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of these polymers follows the classical theory of molecular weight distribution and is nearly always in the region of 2. In some cases, such as PA-6,6, chain branching can take place and then the Mw/Mn ratio is higher. 

Figure 10.1. Schematic diagram showing inhibition of synthesis of amino acids a) single chain inhibition occurs when enzyme controlling committed step (S ) is inhibited by increasing concentrations of product AAj b) branched chain inhibition of by increased concentration of AA2 occurs at a post-branching step (sj), while permitting continued production of product of other branch (AAj). In general, each step is controlled by a single enzyme.

During starvation, the response of the immnne system to infection is slow and the peak level of antibodies is lower than normal, increasing snsceptibility to disease. This is probably caused by a decrease in the plasma levels of all amino acids which are reqnired not only for protein synthesis, when cells proliferate, bnt also for prodnction of cytokines and acnte phase proteins. Synthesis of glntamine from branched-chain amino acids is also necessary to maintain a snpply of this important... 

There are several commercially available sulfonylurea herbicides that contain a 2-pyrimidine group <2006H(68)561>. These compounds, which function by inhibition of acetolactate synthase (ALS), an enzyme involved in the early stage of branched-chain amino acid synthesis, include sulfometuron-methyl 1095, primisulfuron-methyl 1096, chlorimuron-ethyl 1097, bensulfuron-methyl 1098, ethoxysulfuron 1099, nicosulfuron 1100, and pyrazosulfuron-ethyl 1101. Related nonsulfonylureas include the sulfide pyrftalid 1102 and the ether pyriminobac-methyl 1103. 

Biotin (6.24) consists of an imidazole ring fused to a tetrahydrothiophene ring with a valeric acid side chain. Biotin acts as a co-enzyme for carboxylases involved in the synthesis and catabolism of fatty acids and for branched-chain amino acids and gluconeogenesis. 

It has been known for many years, however, that the (3-branched amino acids, especially valine and isoleucine, cause problems in synthesis,14,5] and special care and additional reaction time are required when -substituted amino acids are added to a growing peptide chain in synthesis. For example, in the synthesis of [2,4-diisoleucine]oxytocin efforts to couple the isoleucine to isoleucine by the azide method failed and only the rearranged product was obtained 61 Also, it is much more difficult to hydrolyze peptide bonds formed between two or more contiguous -substituted amino adds using standard 6M HC1 conditions. For example, in the hydrolysis of [2,4-diisoleucine]oxytocin (3 isoleucine residues adjacent to each other) complete hydrolysis takes 60 hours. 

Epoxy sugars are frequently used as starting compounds in the synthesis of sugar derivatives (compare Section IV) such as halo, amino, azido, thio, deoxy, and branched-chain derivatives. The oxirane ring is in general more reactive than the oxetane or oxolane ring. It is opened with nucleophiles under base or acid catalysis. On the other hand, the oxirane ring remains unattacked under the conditions of catalytic debenzylation on palladium,... 

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