Decarboxylation reaction

Interpretation of KIEs on enzymatic processes (see Chapter 11) has been frequently based on the assumption that the intrinsic value of the kinetic isotope effect is known. Chemical reactions have long been used as models for catalytic events occurring in enzyme active sites and in some cases this analogy has worked quite well. One example is the decarboxylation of 4-pyridylacetic acid presented in Fig. 10.9. Depending on the solvent, either the zwitterionic or the neutral form dominates in the solution. Since the reaction rates in D20/H20 solvent mixtures are the same (see Section 11.4 for a discussion of aqueous D/H solvent isotope effects), as are the carbon KIEs for the carboxylic carbon, it is safe to assume that this is a single step reaction. The isotope effects on pKa are expected to be close to the value of 1.0014 determined for benzoic acid. This in mind, changes in the isotope effects have been attributed to changes in solvation. 

The solvent dependence of the C, O and N KIEs on the decarboxylation is reported in Table 10.9. The difference between 13C-KIE observed in pure water and dioxane (1.0636/1.0573 = 1.0060) exceeds the expected carbon IE on pKa (1.0014, see above) indicating that in an apolar environment the intrinsic value increases.Thus one may expect that the intrinsic KIE for an enzymatic 

Hydrolysis of the ester function of the P-ketoester Claisen product under acidic conditions yields a 

P-ketoacid, but these compounds are especially susceptible to loss of carbon dioxide, i.e. decarboxylation. Although P-ketoacids may be quite stable, decarboxylation occurs readily on mild heating, and is ascribed to the formation of a six-membered hydrogen-bonded transition state. Decarboxylation is represented as a cyclic flow of electrons, leading to an enol product that rapidly reverts to the more favourable keto tautomer. 

Reverse Claisen reaction in biochemistry -oxidation of fatty acids 

Perhaps the most important example of the reverse Claisen reaction in biochemistry is that involved in the P-oxidation of fatty acids, used to optimize energy release from storage fats, or fats ingested as food (see Section 15.4). In common with most biochemical sequences, thioesters rather than oxygen esters are utilized (see Box 10.8). 

The P-oxidation sequence involves three reactions, dehydrogenation, hydration, then oxidation of a secondary alcohol to a ketone, thus generating a P-ketothioester from a thioester. We shall study these reactions in more detail later (see Section 15.4.1). The P-ketothioester then suffers a reverse Claisen reaction, initiated by nucleophilic attack of the thiol coenzyme A (see Box 10.8). 

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The rate of the Nf -catalysed Diels-Alder reaction is barely sensitive to the presence of ligands. Apparently no significant effect due to -back donation is observed, in contrast to the effect of aromatic diamines on the metal-ion catalysed decarboxylation reaction of oxaloacetate (see Section 3.1.1). 

The decarboxylation reactions of fluonnated carboxylic acids are similar to those of their nonfluonnated counterparts, but predictably many exceptions exist The oxidation of the potassium salts of perfluoro acids with potassium persulfate leads to decarboxylation and coupling [93] (equation 59)... 

One of the amino acids in Table 27.1 is the biological precursor to y-aminobutyric acid (4-aminobutanoic acid), which it forms by a decarboxylation reaction. Which amino acid is this ... 

TABLE XXIII. Ethynyl- and Polyethynylpyrazoles Prepared by Desilylation, Destannylation, and Decarboxylation Reactions [71ZOB2230 73S47 75KGS1678 88M253 96BMCL1279 96MCR293]. 

Another decarboxylation reaction that employs lead tetraacetate under milder conditions, has been introduced by Grob et alJ In that case A-chlorosuccinimide is used as chlorinating agent and a mixture of A,A-dimethylformamide and acetic acid as solvent. 

Carboxylic acids having a second carbonyl group two atoms away lose C02 (clecarboxylatc) through an intermediate enolate ion when treated with base. Write the mechanism of this decarboxylation reaction using curved arrows to show the electron flow in each step. 

Decarboxylation is not a general reaction of carboxylic acids. Rather, it is unique to compounds that have a second carbonyl group two atoms away from the —COoH. That is, only substituted malonic acids and /3-keto acids undergo loss of CC>2 on heating. The decarboxylation reaction occurs by a cyclic mechanism and involves initial formation of an enol, thereby accounting for the need to have a second carbonyl group appropriately positioned. 

The third and fourth steps in the synthesis of Hagemann s ester from ethyl acetoacetate and formaldehyde (Problem 23.50) are an intramolecular aklol cyclization to yield a substituted cyclohexenone, and a decarboxylation reaction. Write both reactions, and show the products of each step. 

Step 4 of Figure 29.12 Oxidative Decarboxylation The transformation of cr-ketoglutarate to succinyl CoA in step 4 is a multistep process just like the transformation of pyruvate to acetyl CoA that we saw in Figure 29.11. In both cases, an -keto acid loses C02 and is oxidized to a thioester in a series of steps catalyzed by a multienzynie dehydrogenase complex. As in the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl CoA, the reaction involves an initial nucleophilic addition reaction to a-ketoglutarate by thiamin diphosphate vlide, followed by decarboxylation, reaction with lipoamide, elimination of TPP vlide, and finally a transesterification of the dihydrolipoamide thioester with coenzyme A. 

Benzoxepins require drastic conditions for the thermal rearrangement to naphthols. When 3-benzoxepin-2,4-dicarboxylic acid is heated to 300 C, a decarboxylation reaction takes place and 3-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid (10) is formed in 44% yield.91... 

Biotin is involved in carboxylation and decarboxylation reactions. It is covalently bound to its enzyme. In the carboxylase reaction, C02 is first attached to biotin at the ureido nitrogen, opposite the side chain in an ATP-dependent reaction. The activated C02 is then transferred from carboxybiotin to the substrate. The four enzymes of the intermediary metabolism requiring biotin as a prosthetic group are pyruvate carboxylase (pyruvate oxaloacetate), propionyl-CoA-carboxylase (propionyl-CoA methylmalonyl-CoA), 3-methylcroto-nyl-CoA-carboxylase (metabolism of leucine), and actyl-CoA-carboxylase (acetyl-CoA malonyl-CoA) [1]. 

Decarboxylation reactions performed on activated or aromatic carboxylic acids, e.g., /1-keto acids, is a well-known synthetic transformation. However, the reaction has also been applied on other systems, e.g., N-carboxythiopyri-dones, N-acyloxyphthalimides and by thermolysis of peresters [104-106]. 

The use of microwave irradiation for decarboxylation reactions is well appreciated [107-110]. Still, only one example of a decarboxylation performed on 2-pyridone starting materials has been reported (Fig. 10) [111]. Notably, this decarboxylation reaction is a selective and reagent-free method performed in N-methyl-2-pyrrohdin one (NMP) and microwave irradiation at 220 °C for 10 min. The products 65 were isolated in excellent yields (92-99%) by a simple aqueous work-up (Fig. 10). 

Decarboxylation reactions 26 Dechlorination 277 DHPMs 34 Diazepines 259 Diazines 242... 

Thiamin has a central role in energy-yielding metabo-hsm, and especially the metabohsm of carbohydrate (Figure 45-9). Thiamin diphosphate is the coenzyme for three multi-enzyme complexes that catalyze oxidative decarboxylation reactions pymvate dehydrogenase in carbohydrate metabolism a-ketoglutarate dehydro-... 

In this chapter, decarboxylation of disubstituted malonic acid derivatives and application of the transketolases in organic syntheses are summarized. Although decarboxylation may be seen as a simple C-C bond breaking reaction, it can be regarded as a carbaniongenerating reaction. As the future directions of this field, expansion of some unique decarboxylation reactions is proposed. In relation of carbanion chemistry, promiscuity of enolase superfamily is discussed. 

Aerobic living features metabolize sugars and fatty acids to carbon dioxide. Accordingly, there are some kinds of decarboxylation reactions. TPP-mediated decarboxylation of pyruvic acid to acetaldehyde is one of the most important steps of the metabolism of sugar compounds (Fig. 1). When the intermediate reacts with lipoic acid instead of a proton, pyruvic acid is converted to acetylcoenzyme A, which is introduced to TCA cycle (Fig. 2). 

Many, if not all, of the above decarboxylation reactions are demonstrated to be enanfioselective even in the case that the reaction does not result in an... 

Figure 7 Enantioselectivity of different types of decarboxylation reaction.

Another interesting example is SHMT. This enzyme catalyzes decarboxylation of a-amino-a-methylmalonate with the aid of pyridoxal-5 -phosphate (PLP). This is an unique enzyme in that it promotes various types of reactions of a-amino acids. It promotes aldol/retro-aldol type reactions and transamination reaction in addition to decarboxylation reaction. Although the types of apparent reactions are different, the common point of these reactions is the formation of a complex with PLP. In addition, the initial step of each reaction is the decomposition of the Schiff base formed between the substrate and pyridoxal coenzyme (Fig. 7-3). 

Thus, if we can apply the type of asymmetric decarboxylation reactions mentioned above to synthetic substrates, unique asymmetric reactions and C—C bond-forming reactions will be realized which are otherwise difficult to be realized. 

The tertiary structure of glutamate racemase has already been resolved and it has also been shown that a substrate analog glutamine binds between two cysteine residues. These data enabled us to predict that the new proton-donating amino acid residue should be introduced at position 74 instead of Gly for the inversion of enantioselectivity of the decarboxylation reaction. 

Transketolase (TKase) [EC 2.2.1.1] essentially catalyzes the transfer of C-2 unit from D-xylulose-5-phosphate to ribose-5-phosphate to give D-sedoheptulose-7-phosphate, via a thiazolium intermediate as shown in Fig. 16. An important discovery was that hydroxypyruvate works as the donor substrate and the reaction proceeds irreversibly via a loss of carbon dioxide (Fig. 17). In this chapter, we put emphasis on the synthesis with hydroxypyruvate, as it is the typical TPP-mediated decarboxylation reaction of a-keto acid. ... 

This decarboxylation reaction serves as the tool for enzyme-mediated organic synthesis. " As shown in Fig. 18, the addition of thiazolium intermediate derived... 

Another interesting example of the fission of non-activated C—C bond with the liberation of carbon dioxide is the decarboxylation of oxalate. The enzymes related to degradation of oxalate have a number of potential apphcations especially in relation to diagnosis and human health. Also, the reaction mechanism of this enzyme is interesting. It requires metal ions to activate the substrate and this might give some hints to develop decarboxylation reactions of other types of compounds. In this way, the future extension is expected in this area. 

Formate dehydrogenase can be said to catalyze a kind of decarboxylation reaction and is the most widely used in NADH regeneration. However, as the reaction does not include C—C bond fission, the studies on this enzyme are not described in this chapter. 

The decarboxylation reaction usually proceeds from the dissociated form of a carboxyl group. As a result, the primary reaction intermediate is more or less a carbanion-like species. In one case, the carbanion is stabilized by the adjacent carbonyl group to form an enolate intermediate as seen in the case of decarboxylation of malonic acid and tropic acid derivatives. In the other case, the anion is stabilized by the aid of the thiazolium ring of TPP. This is the case of transketolases. The formation of carbanion equivalents is essentially important in the synthetic chemistry no matter what methods one takes, i.e., enzymatic or ordinary chemical. They undergo C—C bond-forming reactions with carbonyl compounds as well as a number of reactions with electrophiles, such as protonation, Michael-type addition, substitution with pyrophosphate and halides and so on. In this context,... 

Although decarboxylation reaction seems to be a simple one-carbon removing reaction, it is demonstrated that this reaction is a unique and useful reaction in the preparation of optically active carboxylic acids. If the starting material is a racemic carboxylic acid, the optically active compound can be obtained via symmetrization by chemical carboxylation followed by asymmetrization via enzymatic reaction. Accordingly, the whole process can be said as chemicoenzymatic deracemization (Fig. 24). 

As can be seen from the above examples, the decarboxylation reaction can be said to generate carbanion-equivalent, which is capable of undergoing the enantioselective reactions not only with a proton but also with a carbon electrophile in an aqueous medium. In the future extension of this field, this characteristic point should be utilized for the design of the unique reactions. 

In terms of the carbanion equivalent, the enolase superfamily has a strong relation with decarboxylation reaction. This family is characteristic in its promiscuity. If one is reminded of the phrase lock and key theory for the relation between the substrate and the enzyme, the word promiscuity of the enzyme may be unbelievable. However, in addition to natural promiscuity, we can change the enzyme to be promiscuous by introducing mutation, especially in the case of the enolase superfamily. This will be one of the challenging problems in future. For that purpose, biotechnology and informatics skill will be essential tool in addition to precise analysis of the reaction mechanism. 

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