Cyclopentenylcarboxylic acid

The nonprotein amino acid cyclopentenylglycine (45) is a constituent of the ffee-amino-acid pool in seeds and leaves of Hydnocarpus anthelminthica and Caloncoba echinata (Flacourtiaceae), where it comprises up to 2% of the total free amino acids. This unusual compound is derived via the pathway presented in Fig. 2.18. This amino acid is then converted to cyclopentenylcarboxylic acid (aleprolic acid) (46)... 

The pivotal role of aleprolic acid (cyclopentenylcarboxylic acid) as primer in the biosynthesis of cyclopentenyl fatty acids was examined in a variety of tissues. In seeds of anthelminthica and C. echinata [l- C]aleprolic acid was almost exclusively incorporated into cyclopentenyl fatty acids, and in cells of I. polycarpa suspension cultures at a level of well over 60% (Cramer and Spener, 1976 Buchholz and Spener, 1980). In the cell cultures used, where endogenous cyclopentenyl fatty acids occurred only at a minor level, the substrate was taken up and activated for both anabolic and catabolic reactions. The acetate thus formed was refunneled and used for the de novo synthesis predominantly of straight-chain fatty acids (Buchholz and Spener, 1980). 

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