title: Biosynthesis of carnitine in Neurospora crassa.
abstract: In growing cultures of Neurospora crassa lysine auxotroph 33933, (a) beta-hydroxy-epsilon-N-trimethyllysine and gamma-N-trimethylaminobutyraldehyde, postulated precursors of carnitine in the rat, effectively blocked synthesis of labeles carnitine from epsilon-N-[CH3-3H]trimethyllysine; and (b) beta-hydroxy-epsilon-N[CH3-3H[trimethyllysine and gamma-N-[CH3-3H]trimethylaminobutyraldehyde were effectively utilized for carnitine formation. From these isotopic experiments, the latter steps of carnitine synthesis in Neurospora are postulated to be epsilon-N-trimethyllysine leads to beta-hydroxy-epsilon-N-trimethyllysine leads to gamma-N-trimethylaminobutyraldehyde leads to gamma-butyrobetaine leads to carnitine.
mesh_terms: D002331:Carnitine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009491:Neurospora / Q000378:metabolism*; D009492:Neurospora crassa / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine