Saccharopine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saccharopine
Chemical structure of saccharopine
Systematic name 2-[(5-amino-5-carboxy-pentyl)amino]pentanedioic acid
Other names epsilon-N-(L-Glutar-2-yl)-L-lysine
Chemical formula C11H20N2O6
Molecular mass 276.286 g/mol
Density x.xxx g/cm3
Melting point xx.x°C
Boiling point 257-259°C
CAS number 997-68-2
SMILES C(CCNC(CCC(=O)O)C(=O)O)CC(C(=O)O)N
Disclaimer and references


Saccharopine is an intermediate in the metabolism of amino acid lysine. It is a precursor of lysine in the alpha-aminoadipate pathway which occurs in a few lower fungi, the higher fungi, and euglenids. In mammals and higher plants saccharopine is an intermediate in the degradation of lysine, formed by condensation of lysine and alpha-ketoglutarate. The reactions involved, catalysed by saccharopine dehydrogenases, are:

lysine + alpha-ketoglutarate <--> saccharopine <--> glutamate + 2-aminoadipate 6-semialdehyde

Saccharopinuria (high amounts of saccharopine in the urine) and saccharopinemia (an excess of saccharopine in the blood) are conditions present in some inherited disorders of lysine degradation.

Saccharopine was first isolated in 1961 from yeasts (Saccharomyces, hence the name) by Darling and Larsen.[1]

[edit] See also

[edit] Note

  1.  Darling, S., and Larsen, P. O., Saccharopine, a new amino acid in Baker's and Brewer's yeast: I. Isolation and properties. Acta Chem. Scand., 15, 743 (1961).