title: Chemical modification of L-glutamine to alpha-amino glutarimide on autoclaving facilitates Agrobacterium infection of host and non-host plants: A new use of a known compound.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accidental autoclaving of L-glutamine was found to facilitate the Agrobacterium infection of a non host plant like tea in an earlier study. In the present communication, we elucidate the structural changes in L-glutamine due to autoclaving and also confirm the role of heat transformed L-glutamine in Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation of host/non host plants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When autoclaved at 121°C and 15 psi for 20 or 40 min, L-glutamine was structurally modified into 5-oxo proline and 3-amino glutarimide (α-amino glutarimide), respectively. Of the two autoclaved products, only α-amino glutarimide facilitated Agrobacterium infection of a number of resistant to susceptible plants. However, the compound did not have any vir gene inducing property.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report a one pot autoclave process for the synthesis of 5-oxo proline and α-amino glutarimide from L-glutamine. Xenobiotic detoxifying property of α-amino glutarimide is also proposed.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA-24061, USA.
authors.forename: Indra
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sandal
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palampur-176061, H. P. India.
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Uksha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palampur-176061, H. P. India.
authors.forename: Devinder
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palampur-176061, H. P. India.
authors.forename: Shveta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palampur-176061, H. P. India.
authors.forename: Ashu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gulati
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Resource Centre, Boduppal, Hyderabad 500039 (A.P.), India.
authors.forename: Jonnala K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palampur-176061, H. P. India.
authors.forename: Neeraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palampur-176061, H. P. India.
authors.forename: Jyotsna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dayma
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palampur-176061, H. P. India.
authors.forename: Pralay
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palampur-176061, H. P. India.
authors.forename: Bikram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palampur-176061, H. P. India.
authors.forename: Paramvir S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ahuja