Chemical evolution of the citric acid cycle: sunlight photolysis of the amino acids glutamate and aspartate.
Sunlight photolysis of the amino acids glutamate and aspartate were carried out on 0.1 M aqueous solutions at pH = 7.0. The non-volatile products were identified by GC-MS analysis of derived methyl esters. The major product from glutamic acid was succinic acid, and, analogously, aspartic acid photolyzed to malonic acid. The photochemical oxidative decarboxylation of glutamate parallels its metabolism in modern cells and may provide an evolutionary link between simple amino acids and reactions of the citric acid cycle.
Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga 37403.
T G
TG
Waddell
T J
TJ
Miller
D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002952:Citric Acid Cycle; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005971:Glutamates / Q000528:radiation effects*; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D010782:Photolysis; D013472:Sunlight
D005971:Glutamates; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid