Amino asparagine

Therapy with L-asparaginase is most successful against tumors exhibiting a deficiency in the synthesis of L-asparagine. Most normal cells exhibit a healthy capacity to synthesize this nonessential amino acid and are not damaged by exposure to L-asparaginase (23). This finding demonstrates that biochemical differences between normal and cancer cells can be exploited for successful cancer chemotherapy. 

Automated amino acid analysis of peptides containing asparagine (Asn) and glutamine (Gin) residues gives a peak corresponding to ammonia. Why ... 

Different optical enantiomers of amino acids also have different properties. L-asparagine, for example, tastes bitter while D-asparagine tastes sweet (see Figure 8.3). L-Phenylalanine is a constituent of the artificial sweetener aspartame (Figure 8.3). When one uses D-phenylalanine the same compound tastes bitter. These examples clearly demonstrate the importance of the use of homochiral compounds. 

L-Asparaginase, an enzyme derived from E. coli or Erwinia carotovora, has been employed in cancer chemotherapy where its selectivity depends upon the essential requirement of some tumours for the amino acid L-asparagine. Normal tissues do not require this amino acid and thus the enzyme is administered with the intention of depleting tumour cells of asparagine by converting it to aspartic acid and ammonia. Whilst L-asparaginase showed promise in a variety of experimentally induced tumours, it is only useful in humans for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, although it is sometimes used for myeloid leukaemia. 

Figure 4.4 Release of amino acids from cortical slices exposed to 50 mM K+. Measurements by HPEC and fluorescence detection after reaction of amino acids with o-phthalaldehyde 1, aspartate 2, glutamate 3, asparagine 4, serine 5, glutamine 6, histidine 7, homoserine (internal standard) 8, glycine 9, threonine 10, arginine 11, taurine 12, alanine 13, GABA 14, tyrosine. Glutamate concentration is almost 1 pmol/gl which represents a release rate of 30 pmol/min/mg tissue...

Structural analysis of the two pectate lyases PelC and PelE (5, 6), demonstrated that these proteins fold in a large heHx of parallel P strands. A stack of asparagine residues parallel to the helix probably plays a role in the stabUity of this structure. Identification of the structurally conserved amino adds lead to a reaHgnment of the protein sequences (7). In addition to Erwinia extracellular pectate lyases, the multiple aHgnment indudes the Bacillus subtilis pectate lyase, Aspergillus tdger and E. carotovora pectin lyases and plant proteins. 

Antitumor enzyme, hydrolyzes L-asparagine in bloodstream, depriving tumor cells of the essential amino acid results in inhibition of protein, DNA, and RNA synthesis and cell proliferation derived from Escharichia coli... 

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