Isoleucine double bonds

Elimination reactions (Figure 5.7) often result in the formation of carbon-carbon double bonds, isomerizations involve intramolecular shifts of hydrogen atoms to change the position of a double bond, as in the aldose-ketose isomerization involving an enediolate anion intermediate, while rearrangements break and reform carbon-carbon bonds, as illustrated for the side-chain displacement involved in the biosynthesis of the branched chain amino acids valine and isoleucine. Finally, we have reactions that involve generation of resonance-stabilized nucleophilic carbanions (enolate anions), followed by their addition to an electrophilic carbon (such as the carbonyl carbon atoms... 

In the degradation of isoleucine, (3 oxidation proceeds to completion in the normal way with generation of acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA. However, in the catabolism of leucine after the initial dehydrogenation in the (3-oxidation sequence, carbon dioxide is added using a biotin enzyme (Chapter 14). The double bond conjugated with the carbonyl of the thioester makes this carboxylation analogous to a standard (3-carboxylation reaction. Why add the extra C02 ... 

An apparently similar, antiperiplanar elimination with loss of the isoleucine 4-pro-S proton, to generate a double-bond of opposite geometry in alkaloidal necic acid fragments, has been observed13 (cf. Vol. 11, p. 2). 

Isoleucine and valine. The first four reactions in the degradation of isoleucine and valine are identical. Initially, both amino acids undergo transamination reactions to form a-keto-/T methyl valerate and a-ketoiso valerate, respectively. This is followed by the formation of CoA derivatives, and oxidative decarboxylation, oxidation, and dehydration reactions. The product of the isoleucine pathway is then hydrated, dehydrogenated, and cleaved to form acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA. In the valine degradative pathway the a-keto acid intermediate is converted into propionyl-CoA after a double bond is hydrated and CoA is removed by hydrolysis. After the formation of an aldehyde by the oxidation of the hydroxyl group, propionyl-CoA is produced as a new thioester is formed during an oxidative decarboxylation. 

Isoleucine is a good example of branched-chain amino acids for a semi-in-depth examination. Unique aspects of the metabolism of valine and leucine are highlighted. After transamination and oxidative decarboxylation to form the branched-chain fatty-acyl CoA, a double bond is formed between a and b carbons utilizing FAD then water is added to form a b hydroxy derivative (Fig. 18.4). Then a NAD+-dependent dehydrogenase produces a keto derivative of the branched-chain fatty-acyl CoA. The similarity to straight-chain fatty-acid oxidation should be noted. This keto fragment is cleaved with participation of coenzyme A to form acetyl CoA, which ei-... 

Riordan and Stammer11,12 applied Bergmann s procedure for the syntheses of a series of azlactones. Amino acids, such as phenylalanine, tyrosine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine were converted to A a-methyl-cinnamoyl) derivatives. Azlactonization followed by oxidation using pyridine hydrobromide perbromide gave the corresponding unsaturated azlactone having the Z configuration around the newly formed double bond in the 4-position [Eq. (5)1. 

Won et al. [19], have reported synthesis of polyesters with valine, leucine, isoleucine, methionine, and phenylalanine (Table 12.1). This three-step process involves synthesis of a diester and a dinitro compound that are copolymerized [19], An amino acid is first coupled with a diol (with 3, 4, or 6 methylene groups) in the presence of tosyl to yield a diester with acid salts of diamine at the terminal ends. The second monomer, di-p-nitrophenyl ester of carboxylic acids, is synthesized by a condensation reaction of adipoyl or se-bacoyl chloride with p-nitro phenol. The final polymerization step involves an arduous condensation reaction in the presence of a strong proton abstractor between acid salt of bis(amino acid-alkyne diester) and di-p-nitrophenyl ester of dicarboxylic acids. Following along the same lines, Chu and Guo [22] have copolymerized a mixture of nitro phenyl ester of succinate, adipate, or sebacate and nitrophenyl fumarate with toluenesulfonic acid salt of phenylalanine butane-1,4-diester. The addition of fumarate derivative to the monomer mixture provides an unsaturated double bond in the polymer backbone that can be functionalized for specific biomedical... 

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