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Homogentisic Acid
Homogentisic acid (2,5-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid) is a phenolic acid usually found in ''Arbutus unedo'' (strawberry-tree) honey. It is also present in the bacterial plant pathogen ''Xanthomonas campestris'' pv. ''phaseoli'' as well as in the yeast ''Yarrowia lipolytica'' where it is associated with the production of brown pigments. It is oxidatively dimerised to form hipposudoric acid, one of the main constituents of the 'blood sweat' of hippopotamuses. It is less commonly known as melanic acid, the name chosen by William Prout. Human pathology Accumulation of excess homogentisic acid and its oxide, named alkapton, is a result of the failure of the enzyme homogentisic acid 1,2-dioxygenase (typically due to a mutation) in the degradative pathway of tyrosine, consequently associated with alkaptonuria. Intermediate It is an intermediate in the catabolism of aromatic amino acids such as phenylalanine and tyrosine. 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate (produced by transamination of tyrosin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phenolic Acid
Phenolic acids or phenolcarboxylic acids are types of aromatic acid compounds. Included in that class are substances containing a phenolic ring and an organic carboxylic acid function (C6-C1 skeleton). Two important naturally occurring types of phenolic acids are hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids, which are derived from non-phenolic molecules of benzoic and cinnamic acid, respectively. Occurrences Phenolic acids can be found in many plant species. Their content in dried fruits can be high. Natural phenols in horse grams (''Macrotyloma uniflorum'') are mostly phenolic acids, namely 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic, ''p''-hydroxy benzoic, vanillic, caffeic, ''p''-coumaric, ferulic, syringic, and sinapinic acids. Phenolic acids can be found in several mushroom-forming species of basidiomycetes. It is also a part of the humic substances, which are the major organic constituents of soil humus. Many phenolic acids can be found in human urine. Chemistry Immobilized ''C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metabolic Intermediate
Metabolic intermediates are molecules that are the precursors or metabolites of biologically significant molecules. Although these intermediates are of relatively minor direct importance to cellular function, they can play important roles in the allosteric regulation of enzymes. Clinical significance Some can be useful in measuring rates of metabolic processes (for example, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid or 3-aminoisobutyrate). Because they can represent unnatural points of entry into natural metabolic pathways, some (such as AICA ribonucleotide) are of interest to researchers in developing new therapies. See also * Metabolism Metabolism {{chem-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hydroquinones
Hydroquinone, also known as benzene-1,4-diol or quinol, is an aromatic organic compound that is a type of phenol, a derivative of benzene, having the chemical formula C6H4(OH)2. It has two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring in a ''para'' position. It is a white granular solid. Substituted derivatives of this parent compound are also referred to as hydroquinones. The name "hydroquinone" was coined by Friedrich Wöhler in 1843. Production Hydroquinone is produced industrially in two main ways.Phillip M. Hudnall "Hydroquinone" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2002, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. 2005 Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. . * The most widely used route is similar to the cumene process in reaction mechanism and involves the dialkylation of benzene with propene to give 1,4-diisopropylbenzene. This compound reacts with air to afford the bis(hydroperoxide), which is structurally similar to cumene hydroperoxide and rearranges in acid to give acetone and hydroquinone. * A sec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
4-maleylacetoacetic Acid
4-Maleylacetoacetate (4-maleylacetoacetatic acid) is an intermediate in the metabolism of tyrosine. It is converted to fumarylacetoacetate by the enzyme 4-maleylacetoacetate cis-trans-isomerase. Gluthathione coenzymatically helps in conversion to fumarylacetoacetic acid. See also * Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (homogentisic acid oxidase, homogentisate oxidase, homogentisicase) is an enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of homogentisate to 4-Maleylacetoacetate, 4-maleylacetoacetate. Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase or HGD ... Beta-keto acids Enones Diketones {{biochem-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase
Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (homogentisic acid oxidase, homogentisate oxidase, homogentisicase) is an enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of homogentisate to 4-Maleylacetoacetate, 4-maleylacetoacetate. Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase or HGD is involved in the catabolism of aromatic rings, more specifically in the breakdown of the amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine. HGD appears in the metabolic pathway of tyrosine and phenylalanine degradation once the molecule homogentisate is produced. Homogentisate reacts with HGD to produce maleylacetoacetate, which then is further used in the metabolic pathway. HGD requires the use of Fe2+ and O2 in order to cleave the aromatic ring of homogentisate. Image:Homogentisic acid.svg, homogentisate Image:4-maleylacetoacetic acid.svg, 4-Maleylacetoacetate, 4-maleylacetoacetate Enzyme active site The active site of Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase was determined through the crystal structure, which was captured through the work of Titus et al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), also known as α-ketoisocaproate dioxygenase (KIC dioxygenase), is an Fe(II)-containing non-heme oxygenase that catalyzes the second reaction in the catabolism of tyrosine - the conversion of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate into homogentisate. HPPD also catalyzes the conversion of phenylpyruvate to 2-hydroxyphenylacetate and the conversion of α-ketoisocaproate to β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate. HPPD is an enzyme that is found in nearly all aerobic forms of life. Enzyme mechanism HPPD is categorized within a class of oxygenase enzymes that usually utilize α-ketoglutarate and diatomic oxygen to oxygenate or oxidize a target molecule. However, HPPD differs from most molecules in this class due to the fact that it does not use α-ketoglutarate, and it only utilizes two substrates while adding both atoms of diatomic oxygen into the product, homogentisate. The HPPD reaction occurs through a NIH shift and involves the oxidative decarboxylation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transamination
Transamination is a chemical reaction that transfers an amino group to a ketoacid to form new amino acids. This pathway is responsible for the deamination of most amino acids. This is one of the major degradation pathways which convert essential amino acids to non-essential amino acids (amino acids that can be synthesized de novo by the organism). Transamination in biochemistry is accomplished by enzymes called transaminases or aminotransferases. α-ketoglutarate acts as the predominant amino-group acceptor and produces glutamate as the new amino acid. :Aminoacid + α-ketoglutarate ↔ α-keto acid + glutamate Glutamate's amino group, in turn, is transferred to oxaloacetate in a second transamination reaction yielding aspartate. :Glutamate + oxaloacetate ↔ α-ketoglutarate + aspartate Mechanism of action Transamination catalyzed by aminotransferase occurs in two stages. In the first step, the α amino group of an amino acid is transferred to the enzyme, producing the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate
4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid (4-HPPA) is an intermediate in the metabolism of the amino acid phenylalanine. The aromatic side chain of phenylalanine is hydroxylated by the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase to form tyrosine. The conversion from tyrosine to 4-HPPA is in turn catalyzed by tyrosine aminotransferase. Additionally, 4-HPPA can be converted to homogentisic acid which is one of the precursors to ochronotic pigment. It is an intermediary compound in the biosynthesis of scytonemin. See also * 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), also known as α-ketoisocaproate dioxygenase (KIC dioxygenase), is an Fe(II)-containing non-heme oxygenase that catalyzes the second reaction in the catabolism of tyrosine - the conversion of 4-hydro ... References Natural phenols Phenols Alpha-keto acids Propionic acids Hydroxy acids {{biochem-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phenylalanine
Phenylalanine (symbol Phe or F) is an essential α-amino acid with the formula . It can be viewed as a benzyl group substituted for the methyl group of alanine, or a phenyl group in place of a terminal hydrogen of alanine. This essential amino acid is classified as neutral, and nonpolar because of the inert and hydrophobic nature of the benzyl side chain. The L-isomer is used to biochemically form proteins coded for by DNA. Phenylalanine is a precursor for tyrosine, the monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline), and the skin pigment melanin. It is encoded by the codons UUU and UUC. Phenylalanine is found naturally in the milk of mammals. It is used in the manufacture of food and drink products and sold as a nutritional supplement for its analgesic and antidepressant effects. It is a direct precursor to the neuromodulator phenethylamine, a commonly used dietary supplement. As an essential amino acid, phenylalanine is n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catabolism
Catabolism () is the set of metabolic pathways that breaks down molecules into smaller units that are either oxidized to release energy or used in other anabolic reactions. Catabolism breaks down large molecules (such as polysaccharides, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins) into smaller units (such as monosaccharides, fatty acids, nucleotides, and amino acids, respectively). Catabolism is the breaking-down aspect of metabolism, whereas anabolism is the building-up aspect. Cells use the monomers released from breaking down polymers to either construct new polymer molecules or degrade the monomers further to simple waste products, releasing energy. Cellular wastes include lactic acid, acetic acid, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and urea. The formation of these wastes is usually an oxidation process involving a release of chemical free energy, some of which is lost as heat, but the rest of which is used to drive the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This molecule acts as a way f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alkaptonuria
Alkaptonuria is a rare inherited genetic disease which is caused by a mutation in the ''HGD'' gene for the enzyme homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (); if a person inherits an abnormal copy from both parents (it is a recessive condition), the body accumulates an intermediate substance called homogentisic acid in the blood and tissues. Homogentisic acid and its oxidized form ''alkapton'' are excreted in the urine, giving it an unusually dark color. The accumulating homogentisic acid causes damage to cartilage (ochronosis, leading to osteoarthritis) and heart valves, as well as precipitating as kidney stones and stones in other organs. Symptoms usually develop in people over 30 years old, although the dark discoloration of the urine is present from birth. Apart from treatment of the complications (such as pain relief and joint replacement for the cartilage damage), the drug nitisinone has been found to suppress homogentisic acid production, and research is ongoing as to whether it can ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arbutus Unedo
''Arbutus unedo'' is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and western Europe. The tree is well known for its fruits, which bear some resemblance to the strawberry — hence the common name "strawberry tree". However, it is not closely related to true strawberries of the genus ''Fragaria''. Its presence in Ireland also lends it the moniker "Irish strawberry tree", or cain, or cane apple (from the Irish name for the tree, ''caithne''), or sometimes "Killarney strawberry tree". The strawberry tree is the national tree of Italy because of its green leaves, its white flowers and its red berries, colors that recall the Italian flag. Taxonomy ''Arbutus unedo'' was one of the many species described by Carl Linnaeus in Volume One of his landmark 1753 work ''Species Plantarum'', giving it the name it still bears today. A study published in 2001 which analyzed ribosomal DNA from ''Arbutus'' and related genera found ''Arbutus'' to b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
