Structure folic acid

FIGURE 18.35 Formation of THF from folic acid by the dihydrofolate reductase reaction. The R group on these folate molecules symbolizes the one to seven (or more) glutamate units that folates characteristically contain. All of these glutamates are bound in y-carboxyl amide linkages (as in the folic acid structure shown in the box A Deeper Look Folic Acid, Pterins, and Insect VFingis). The one-carbon units carried by THF are bound at N, or at or as a single carbon attached to both... 

Bacteria require p-aminobenzoic acid to biosyn thesize folic acid a growth factor Structurally sul fanilamide resembles p-aminobenzoic acid and is mistaken for it by the bacteria Folic acid biosynthesis IS inhibited and bacterial growth is slowed suffi ciently to allow the body s natural defenses to effect a cure Because animals do not biosynthesize folic acid but obtain it in their food sulfanilamide halts the growth of bacteria without harm to the host... 

Pterin, 4-amino — see Folic acid, 4-amino-4-deoxy-Pterin, 6-amino-structure, 3, 276 Pterin, 7-amino-structure, 3, 276 Pterin, 6-arylthio-reactivity, 3, 299 Pterin, 6-(l-carboxyethoxy)-synthesis, 3, 309 Pterin, 6-carboxy-7-hydroxy-properties, 3, 277 Pterin, 7-carboxy-6-hydroxy-properties, 3, 277 Pterin, 6-chloro-nucleophilic substitution, 3, 292 synthesis, 3, 290... 

Folic Acid. Figure 1 Structure of folic acid. 

FIGURE 10.10 Structural formula of folic acid and related compounds. 1 — [3, 5, 7,9- H]folic acid (boldfaced letter H denotes radioactivity), 2 — pterine-6-carboxylic acid, 3 — /)-aminobenzoyl-L-glutamic acid. 

REDUCTION LEVEL NAME TYPICAL STRUCTURES FOLIC ACID EQUIVALENT2... 

Special mention must be accorded to iatrogenic effects, where the usefulness of novel synthetic drugs is impaired by untoward side effects of obscure etiology. In some, if not many of them, these side effects may find their explanation in the inhibitory action of the drug upon a vitamin, as in the case of primidone vs. folic acid (B3a). These relationships appear to be fortuitous until the structural chemical kinship of drug and vitamin is recognized. 

Dilanacin, molecular formula and structure, 5 98t Dilantin, folic acid and, 25 803 Dilatancy, 21 717 Dilatant flow, 7 280t 8 728 Dilatant fluids, 11 768, 769 Dilatometers, vitreous silica in, 22 441 Dilatometric techniques, 13 436... 

Medoxomil, molecular formula and structure, 5 153t Mefluidide, 73 43t, 54 Megaloblastic anemia, folic acid and, 25 802... 

Antimetabolites. This class of drugs includes purine, pyrimidine, and folic acid analogs that have been successfully used to treat various carcinomas, autoimmune diseases, and dermatological disorders such as psoriasis. Because of their structural similarities to normal components of DNA and RNA synthesis, they are capable of competing with the normal macromolecules and alkylating biological nucleophiles. 

The chemical structure of folate (or folic acid) is shown in Figure 5.8. In humans, folate usually occurs as polyglutamate derivatives. The active form of folate is THF, sometimes shown as FH4) is derived from folate via two reductase reactions. THF functions as a carrier of one-carbon groups in varying oxidation states (Table 5.1). 

In contrast to humans, bacteria have the biochemical ability to synthesize folic acid from simpler molecules. Here we have a clear biochemical difference between human beings and infectious organisms that we can exploit to our benefit. The reaction catalyzed by an enzyme known as dihydropteroate synthetase, in which a complex heterocycle is linked to p-aminobenzoic acid, is key. Now recognize the structural similarity between sulfanilamide, or other sulfonamides, and p-aminobenzoic acid ... 

Given this structural similarity, it should not be surprising to learn that sulfanilamide competes with p-aminobenzoic acid for a binding site on the surface of dihydropteroate synthetase. Put another way, sulfanilamide binds to the enzyme where p-aminobenzoic acid should bind but no reaction occurs. The consequence is that a step in folic acid biosynthesis is disrupted and the bacterial cell is deprived of adequate folic acid. Nucleic acid synthesis, among other things, is disrupted, leading to a cessation of cell growth and division. The human immune system can mop up what remains. No similar consequences befall the human host since it cannot make folic acid in the first place and must get an adequate supply of this vitamin in the diet. 

Donald Woods discovered that sulphonamides exerted their action by inhibiting an enzyme used by bacteria to synthesise folic acid. The compound 4-aminobenzoic acid is the precursor for folic acid, and is structurally similar to sulphonamide. Bacteria that were unable to synthesise folic acid were unable to achieve de novo synthesis of purines for their DNA and RNA synthesis and hence could not proliferate. Such competitive inhibitors, which mimicked normal metabolites, became known as antimetabolites (many are used in cancer chemotherapy. Chapter 21). 

Compared with other vitamins, the chemical structures of both folic acid and B12 are complex. They are prosthetic groups for the enzymes that catalyse the transfer of the methyl group (-CH3) between compounds (one-carbon metabolism). The -CH3 group is chemically unreactive, so that the chemistry for the transfers is difficult, requiring complex structures for catalysis. 

The structure of cobalamin is more complex than that of folic acid (Figure 15.2 and 15.3). At its heart is a porphyrin ring containing the metal ion cobalt at its centre. In catalytic reactions the cobalt ion forms a bond with the one-carbon group, which is then transferred from one compound to another. Vitamin B12 is the prosthetic group of only two enzymes, methylmalonyl-CoAmutase and methionine synthase. The latter enzyme is particularly important, as it is essential for the synthesis of nucleotides which indicates the importance of vitamin B12 in maintenance of good health. 

Figure 22.6 How various factors increase the risk of atherosclerosis, thrombosis and myocardial infarction. The diagram provides suggestions as to how various factors increase the risk of development of the trio of cardiovascular problems. The factors include an excessive intake of total fat, which increases activity of clotting factors, especially factor VIII an excessive intake of saturated or trans fatty acids that change the structure of the plasma membrane of cells, such as endothelial cells, which increases the risk of platelet aggregation or susceptibility of the membrane to injury excessive intake of salt - which increases blood pressure, as does smoking and low physical activity a high intake of fat or cholesterol or a low intake of antioxidants, vitamin 6 2 and folic acid, which can lead either to direct chemical damage (e.g. oxidation) to the structure of LDL or an increase in the serum level of LDL, which also increases the risk of chemical damage to LDL. A low intake of folate and vitamin B12 also decreases metabolism of homocysteine, so that the plasma concentration increases, which can damage the endothelial membrane due to formation of thiolactone.

The structure of sulfa drug molecules, however, is very similar to that of the PABA molecule. Compare the structure of sulfanilamide, in part 2 of the diagram, with that of PABA. Notice how easily the sulfanilamide molecule can substitute for the PABA molecule in the synthesis of the bacterium s folic acid. The problem for the bacterium, however, is that folic acid produced from a sulfa drug molecule is... 

These three compounds exert many similar effects in nucleotide metabolism of chicks and rats [167]. They cause an increase of the liver RNA content and of the nucleotide content of the acid-soluble fraction in chicks [168], as well as an increase in rate of turnover of these polynucleotide structures [169,170]. Further experiments in chicks indicate that orotic acid, vitamin B12 and methionine exert a certain action on the activity of liver deoxyribonuclease, but have no effect on ribonuclease. Their effect is believed to be on the biosynthetic process rather than on catabolism [171]. Both orotic acid and vitamin Bu increase the levels of dihydrofolate reductase (EC 1.5.1.4), formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase and serine hydroxymethyl transferase in the chicken liver when added in diet. It is believed that orotic acid may act directly on the enzymes involved in the synthesis and interconversion of one-carbon folic acid derivatives [172]. The protein incorporation of serine, but not of leucine or methionine, is increased in the presence of either orotic acid or vitamin B12 [173]. In addition, these two compounds also exert a similar effect on the increased formate incorporation into the RNA of liver cell fractions in chicks [174—176]. It is therefore postulated that there may be a common role of orotic acid and vitamin Bj2 at the level of the transcription process in m-RNA biosynthesis [174—176]. 

---