Reactions of mercapto amino acids Communication 7. Reactions of N-acyl-2,3-dihaloalanines, (acyloxy)pyruvic acids

Author(s):  
O. V. Kildisheva ◽  
M. G. Linkova ◽  
I. L. Knunyants
Keyword(s):  
1983 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 1055-1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
AEJAZ AHAMED ◽  
JACK R. MATCHES

Bacterial isolates (244) identified to genera were tested for their ability to produce ethanol, isopropanol and propanol in a fish tissue extract. All of the isolates produced ethanol and 241 and 227 produced isopropanol and propanol, respectively. One high alcohol producing member of each of the groups Moraxella-like, Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Micrococcus and coryneforms was selected for utilization of fish components as substrates in production of alcohol. The substrates tested included four sugars, nine amino acids and lactic and pyruvic acids. Although there were some variations in the levels of alcohols produced by the test organisms from the substrates, the organisms appeared to prefer simple 5 and 6 carbon sugars and then utilized the free amino acids. The level of oxygenation greatly affected the levels of alcohols produced.


1975 ◽  
Vol 150 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
F D Sauer ◽  
J D Erfle ◽  
S Mahadevan

Mixed rumen micro-organisms, maintained in continuous culture readily incorporated labelled HCO3- and acetate into amino acids. Labelled propionate, in contrast, was utilized only for isoleucine biosynthesis, but failed to label other amino acids to any significant extent. Evidence was obtained showing that in these mixed, i.e. symbiotic, cultures foward tricarboxylic acid-cycle reactions only proceed to 2-oxoglutarate. 14C distribution in amino acids clearly shows that 2-oxoglutarate is not oxidized further by tricarboxylic acid-cycle enzymes. Instead, acetate is carboxylated to pyruvate which is then carboxylated to oxaloacetate. Oxaloacetate equilibrates with fumarate and thereby carbon atoms 1 and 4 as well as carbon atoms 2 and 3 are randomized. Evidence was also obtained for the carboxylation of propionate to 2-oxobutyrate, isovalerate to 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate, phenylacetate and hydroxyphentlacetate to the corresponding phenyl- and hydroxyphenyl-pyruvic acids and succinate to 2-oxoglutarate. Of the amino acid precursors investigated, only 3-hydroxypyruvate, the precursor of serine, appeared to be synthesized via an oxidative step, i.e. 3-phosphoglyceric acid to 3-phosphohydroxypyruvic acid. Most 2-oxo precursors of amino acids in these organisms appear to be formed via reductive carboxylation of the precursor acid.


1961 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 593-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. H. Jones

The organic and keto acid levels in the leaves of tomato plants grown with varying levels of potassium were examined. As the potassium level was reduced, the levels of malic, oxalic, and sometimes pyruvic acids decreased, while citric, α-ketoglutaric, and glyoxylic acids accumulated. Total organic acids remained almost constant at all potassium levels, while such changes as occurred in cation levels were balanced by phosphate. These relationships held for plants grown under widely different environmental conditions and were not affected by the age of the plants. It is suggested that the changes in acid balance were brought about by changes in the activity of enzymes concerned in pyruvate metabolism and by shifts in equilibrium caused by free amino acids and amides accumulated as a result of deranged protein metabolism.


1997 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 505-510
Author(s):  
Alexandra J. MacDermott ◽  
Laurence D. Barron ◽  
Andrè Brack ◽  
Thomas Buhse ◽  
John R. Cronin ◽  
...  

AbstractThe most characteristic hallmark of life is its homochirality: all biomolecules are usually of one hand, e.g. on Earth life uses only L-amino acids for protein synthesis and not their D mirror images. We therefore suggest that a search for extra-terrestrial life can be approached as a Search for Extra- Terrestrial Homochirality (SETH). The natural choice for a SETH instrument is optical rotation, and we describe a novel miniaturized space polarimeter, called the SETH Cigar, which could be used to detect optical rotation as the homochiral signature of life on other planets. Moving parts are avoided by replacing the normal rotating polarizer by multiple fixed polarizers at different angles as in the eye of the bee. We believe that homochirality may be found in the subsurface layers on Mars as a relic of extinct life, and on other solar system bodies as a sign of advanced pre-biotic chemistry. We discuss the chiral GC-MS planned for the Roland lander of the Rosetta mission to a comet and conclude with theories of the physical origin of homochirality.


1997 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 179-187
Author(s):  
Clifford N. Matthews ◽  
Rose A. Pesce-Rodriguez ◽  
Shirley A. Liebman

AbstractHydrogen cyanide polymers – heterogeneous solids ranging in color from yellow to orange to brown to black – may be among the organic macromolecules most readily formed within the Solar System. The non-volatile black crust of comet Halley, for example, as well as the extensive orangebrown streaks in the atmosphere of Jupiter, might consist largely of such polymers synthesized from HCN formed by photolysis of methane and ammonia, the color observed depending on the concentration of HCN involved. Laboratory studies of these ubiquitous compounds point to the presence of polyamidine structures synthesized directly from hydrogen cyanide. These would be converted by water to polypeptides which can be further hydrolyzed to α-amino acids. Black polymers and multimers with conjugated ladder structures derived from HCN could also be formed and might well be the source of the many nitrogen heterocycles, adenine included, observed after pyrolysis. The dark brown color arising from the impacts of comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter might therefore be mainly caused by the presence of HCN polymers, whether originally present, deposited by the impactor or synthesized directly from HCN. Spectroscopic detection of these predicted macromolecules and their hydrolytic and pyrolytic by-products would strengthen significantly the hypothesis that cyanide polymerization is a preferred pathway for prebiotic and extraterrestrial chemistry.


Author(s):  
E.M. Kuhn ◽  
K.D. Marenus ◽  
M. Beer

Fibers composed of different types of collagen cannot be differentiated by conventional electron microscopic stains. We are developing staining procedures aimed at identifying collagen fibers of different types.Pt(Gly-L-Met)Cl binds specifically to sulfur-containing amino acids. Different collagens have methionine (met) residues at somewhat different positions. A good correspondence has been reported between known met positions and Pt(GLM) bands in rat Type I SLS (collagen aggregates in which molecules lie adjacent to each other in exact register). We have confirmed this relationship in Type III collagen SLS (Fig. 1).


Author(s):  
R. W. Yaklich ◽  
E. L. Vigil ◽  
W. P. Wergin

The legume seed coat is the site of sucrose unloading and the metabolism of imported ureides and synthesis of amino acids for the developing embryo. The cell types directly responsible for these functions in the seed coat are not known. We recently described a convex layer of tissue on the inside surface of the soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) seed coat that was termed “antipit” because it was in direct opposition to the concave pit on the abaxial surface of the cotyledon. Cone cells of the antipit contained numerous hypertrophied Golgi apparatus and laminated rough endoplasmic reticulum common to actively secreting cells. The initial report by Dzikowski (1936) described the morphology of the pit and antipit in G. max and found these structures in only 68 of the 169 seed accessions examined.


Author(s):  
S.A.C. Gould ◽  
B. Drake ◽  
C.B. Prater ◽  
A.L. Weisenhorn ◽  
S.M. Lindsay ◽  
...  

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is an instrument that can be used to image many samples of interest in biology and medicine. Images of polymerized amino acids, polyalanine and polyphenylalanine demonstrate the potential of the AFM for revealing the structure of molecules. Images of the protein fibrinogen which agree with TEM images demonstrate that the AFM can provide topographical data on larger molecules. Finally, images of DNA suggest the AFM may soon provide an easier and faster technique for DNA sequencing.The AFM consists of a microfabricated SiO2 triangular shaped cantilever with a diamond tip affixed at the elbow to act as a probe. The sample is mounted on a electronically driven piezoelectric crystal. It is then placed in contact with the tip and scanned. The topography of the surface causes minute deflections in the 100 μm long cantilever which are detected using an optical lever.


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