Tryptophan precursors

Depietion of piasma tryptophan precursors may reverse antidepressant-induced remissions (49). 

Another example of a partially biomimetic strategy is shown in Fig. 25b. Here the analogy is to the starting materials two indole-containing molecules, 136 and 137, which were dimerized via formation of the same bond as seen in the reaction carried out by StaD on two molecules of indole-3-pyruvic acid imine (125). This bond - between the (3-carbons of the L-tryptophan precursor (123) - once formed biosynthetically leads to 127, which spontaneously forms chromopyrrolic acid (128) in oxygen (Fig. 24). In the biosynthetic route, this reaction is between two unactivated carbons, which would seem to render it challenging, although low levels of 128 formation are seen between indole-3-acetic acid, L-tryptophan, and... 

Individuals on psychotropic medications (such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and methylating agents) being managed for depression and anxiety should be carefully counseled before starting the LNAA diet. LNAA products contain significant amounts of tyrosine and tryptophan, precursors to dopamine and serotonin, respectively. Taking too much LNAA may exacerbate the brain serotonin systems. 

The tryptophan biosynthetic pathway in microorganisms is one of the branches from a common pathway for the biosynthesis of the aromatic substances. Some regulation of tryptophan synthesis occurs at the level of the common aromatic pathway as well as at the level of the synthesis of glutamine [1,2], a tryptophan precursor. This chapter will be... 

The thermal Yonemitsu-type reaction of ethyl 2-nitroace-tate with variably substituted indoles and formaldehyde in toluene led to the formation of various tryptophan precursors in moderate to high yields [134]. Molecular sieves supported the Knoevenagel condensation step. A closely related catalyst-free version was published by Jerdme et al. in 2009 [43]. P-Ketoesters represent the CH-acidic component that undergoes a Yonemitsu-type reaction at slightly elevated temperatures to provide the desired products in moderate yields within 6-20 h. 

Tryptophan Precursor of serotonin precursor of nicotinamide (B-vitamin)... 

A possible function of the pigment as a storage depot for indole residues, i.e., as a source of tryptophan precursors, is probably untenable. Active degradation of the pigment by the organism has not been observed. 

Miscellaneous Alkaloids. Stukimic acid (57) is a precursor of anthranihc acid (28) and, in yeasts and Escherichia coli (a bacterium), anthranHic acid (o-aminobenzoic acid) is known to serve as a precursor of tryptophan (26). A similar but yet unknown path is presumed to operate in higher plants. Nonetheless, anthranHic acid itself is recognized as a precursor to a number of alkaloids. Thus damascenine [483-64-7] (134), C qH NO, from the seed coats of JSHgella damascena has been shown (95) to incorporate labeled anthranHic acid when unripe seeds of the plant are incubated with labeled precursor. 

Bioassays procedures have been developed in species such as chicks which have been fed a niacin-deficient diet. Due to the fact that, for example, tryptophan is a biological precursor of niacin, niacin can be produced from other sources (55). As a result, the tryptophan content of the diet has to be monitored carefully for accurate results. 

Tryptophan is a precursor for a series of metabolic reactions. Two tryptophan catabolizing pathways are well characterized (i) tryptophan converts to serotonin (ii) tryptophan is also converted to kynurenine. 

Certain amino acids and their derivatives, although not found in proteins, nonetheless are biochemically important. A few of the more notable examples are shown in Figure 4.5. y-Aminobutyric acid, or GABA, is produced by the decarboxylation of glutamic acid and is a potent neurotransmitter. Histamine, which is synthesized by decarboxylation of histidine, and serotonin, which is derived from tryptophan, similarly function as neurotransmitters and regulators. /3-Alanine is found in nature in the peptides carnosine and anserine and is a component of pantothenic acid (a vitamin), which is a part of coenzyme A. Epinephrine (also known as adrenaline), derived from tyrosine, is an important hormone. Penicillamine is a constituent of the penicillin antibiotics. Ornithine, betaine, homocysteine, and homoserine are important metabolic intermediates. Citrulline is the immediate precursor of arginine. 

During studies on ditryptophan derivatives, an interesting acid-induced cy-cHzation has been discovered. The 10-membered ring 37 was thus subjected to acidic conditions to produce the indolocarbazole derivative 38 (Scheme 6). Interestingly, calculations performed on the precursor 37 indicated that the lowest energy conformation resembled that of the diastereomer of 38, which was never observed. An additional experiment furnished the parent system 1 on treatment of 38 with a catalytic amount of acid. A TFA-induced formation of an indolo[2,3-<3]carbazole was also observed from a related acyclic 2,2 -connected tryptophan dimer (99JOC8537). 

Figure 13.7 Synthesis and structure of the trace amines phenylethylamine, /)-tyramine and tryptamine. These are all formed by decarboxylation rather than hydroxylation of the precursors of the established monoamine neurotransmitters, dopamine and 5-HT. (1) Decarboxylation by aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (2) phenylaline hydroxylase (3) tyrosine hydroxylase (4) tryptophan hydroxylase...

The precursor for the synthesis of 5-HT is the amino acid L-tryptophan, which is obtained from dietary protein (Fig. 2.2A). L-tryptophan is converted to 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) in serotonin neurons by the enzyme tryptophan... 

The amino acid precursor for 5-HT, L-tryptophan, increases the biosynthesis 5-HT and, therefore, has been investigated for potential antidepressant properties, but with mixed results (Green and Costain, 1979). It was withdrawn in 1990, following a number of fatal cases of eosinophilia myalgia (a disorder characterised by severe muscle pain and abnormally high levels of one type of white blood cell, the eosinophil) in individuals principally using it as a natural hypnotic. 

L-tryptophan An amino acid precursor of serotonin, once used as an antidepressant. 

L-tryptophan is compulsory, the biosynthetic machinery displays wide latitude in its ability to condense a second auxiliary amino acid—L-alanine in the case of (+)-ll,ll -dideoxyverticillin A (1)—to afford a tryptophan-derived diketopiperazine intermediate 13. Mirroring Woodward and Robinson s biogenetic hypothesis for the calycanthaceous alkaloids, single-electron oxidation of the electron-rich tryptophan residue would likely initiate an oxidative dimerization of the diketopiperazine precursor with concomitant cyclization to yield the octacyclic intermediate 17. Subsequent A-methylation of the amides would then yield an unembellished skeletal core of the dimeric epipolythiodiketopiperazine alkaloids. The first step en route... 

In the course of their investigation of the enantioselective total synthesis of avarainvillamide and the stephacidins, the Baran group has developed a method for the dehydrogenation of tryptophan as well as a one-step tryptophan synthesis from pyroglutamate and substituted aniline precursors <06JACS8678>. 

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