4- Hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid/4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate

The liquid is transferred to a continuous extractor (Note 10) and extracted with ether until the supernatant layer of ether remains colorless (about 2 hours). The ethereal extract is discarded (Note 11). The aqueous solution is transferred to a 1-1. beaker and acidified by the cautious addition of 60 ml. of 121V hydrochloric acid (Note 12). The solution is returned to the extractor, which is attached to a tared round-bottomed flask. The solution is extracted with ether until no more -hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid is obtained (Note 13). The undried ether solution is evaporated to dryness on a boiling water bath to give crude p-hydroxy-phenylpyruvic acid as a pale-yellow crystalline mass. The mass is broken up with a spatula, and the flask is kept over potassium hydroxide in a vacuum desiccator until its weight is constant. The yield of crude acid is 6.9-7.2 g. (92-96%). It melts at 210— 215° (dec.) (Note 14). 

Hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid is rapidly oxidized in alkaline solution. Commercially available compressed nitrogen may be used if the gas is further purified by passage through an alkaline solution of pyrogallol (45 g. of pyrogallol dissolved in 300 ml. of 50% sodium hydroxide solution). 

Hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid has been prepared by alkaline hydrolysis of the azlactone of a-benzoylamino- -acetoxycin-namic acid 7 and by a two-step hydrolysis of the azlactone of a-acetamino- -acetoxycinnamic acid.8 p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid has also been prepared by alkaline hydrolysis of 5-( -hy-droxybenzal)-3-phenylhydantoin.9 The procedure described here is adapted from published directions for the preparation of -hydroxyphenylpyruvic-3-C14 acid.5 5-( -Hydroxybenzal)hy-dantoin is prepared according to the method of Boyd and Robson.10... 

Hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid plays an important role in the biogenesis of compounds with a phenylpropane skeleton, and it has been used as substrate in several enzyme studies. Published procedures for its preparation are unsatisfactory in many ways. The alkaline hydrolysis of the azlactone of a-bcnzoylamino- -acetoxycinnamic acid 7 makes necessary a tedious separation of the resulting benzoic acid, and the yield is only 34% based on -hydroxybenzaldehyde. The hydrolysis of 5- ( -hydroxybenzal)-3-phenylhydantoin 9 requires a separation of phenylurea. Finally, the two-step cleavage of the azlactone of a-acetamino- -acetoxycinnamic acid 8 does not proceed easily, and impure products are obtained. In applying this procedure to the synthesis of a carboxyl-labeled -hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid, the overall yield was only 9%.u It must be kept in mind that any prolonged isolation procedure will cause some decomposition of this sensitive compound. 

The liver is also the principal metabolic center for hydrophobic amino acids, and hence changes in plasma concentrations or metabolism of these molecules is a good measure of the functional capacity of the liver. Two of the commonly used aromatic amino acids are phenylalanine and tyrosine, which are primarily metabolized by cytosolic enzymes in the liver [1,114-117]. Hydroxylation of phenylalanine to tyrosine by phenylalanine hydroxylase is very efficient by the liver first pass effect. In normal functioning liver, conversion of tyrosine to 4-hy-droxyphenylpyruvate by tyrosine transaminase and subsequent biotransformation to homogentisic acidby 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid dioxygenase liberates CO2 from the C-1 position of the parent amino acid (Fig. 5) [1,118]. Thus, the C-1 position of phenylalanine or tyrosine is typically labeled with and the expired C02 is proportional to the metabolic activity of liver cytosolic enzymes, which corresponds to functional hepatic reserve. Oral or intravenous administration of the amino acids is possible [115]. This method is amenable to the continuous hepatic function measurement approach by monitoring changes in the spectral properties of tyrosine pre- and post-administration of the marker. 

Romagni, J.G., Meazza, G, Nanayakkara, N.P.D., Dayan, F.E. The phytotoxic lichen metabolite, usnic acid, is a potent inhibitor of plant p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase. FEBS Letters 2000 480 301-305. 

The metabolism of phenylalanine will now be considered in some detail, as two inborn errors of metabolism are known that affect this pathway. Phenylalanine is first hydroxylated by phenylalanine hydroxylase to form another aromatic amino acid tyrosine (Fig. 8). The coenzyme for this reaction is the reductant tetrahydrobiopterin which is oxidized to dihydrobiopterin. Phenylalanine hydroxylase is classified as a monooxygenase as one of the atoms of 02 appears in the product and the other in HzO. The tyrosine is then trans-aminated to p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate, which is in turn converted into homogentisate by p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate hydroxylase. This hydroxylase is an example of a dioxygenase, as both atoms of 02 become incorporated into the product (Fig. 8). The homogentisate is then cleaved by homogentisate oxidase, another dioxygenase, before fumarate and acetoacetate are produced... 

Romagni, J. G., Meazza, G., Nanayakkara, and D., Dayan, F. E., 2000. The Phytotoxic Lichen Metabolite, Usnic Acid, is a Potent Inhibitor of Plant p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase. FEBS Letters 480 (2-3), 301-305. 

Additional errors of phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism include tyrosinosis, or hereditary tyrosinemia, neonatal tyrosinemia, and alcaptonuria. In the first case, there is a probable defect in p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate oxidase. In neonatal tyrosinemia, the problem is transient and may be solved by the administration of ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is apparently a cofactor for p-hydroxy-phenylpyruvate oxidase. Alcaptonuria is a benign disorder in which homogen-tisic acid oxidase is inoperative and homogentisic acid is excreted in the urine. Air oxidizes the homogentisic acid to a pigment, giving urine a black color. This pigment also accumulates in the patient s tissues. 

In the hydrolysate of toxic components in the venom of bird-catching spiders (suborder Orthognatha, family Aviculariidae, subfamilies Grammostolinae and Theraphosinae), di-aminopropane, spermine, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-phenylacetic acid, and 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid have been identified. Separation and structure elucidation of the individual components of the original extract were not performed (35.36). 

Prephenic acid has also been shown to be converted (by a partly purified enzyme preparation) to p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid. Diphosphop3rridine nucleotide was required for this reaction, suggesting oxidation of C4, followed by decarboxylation. This -prephenic dehydrogenase was missing in... 

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