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. 1979 Nov 15;184(2):421–426. doi: 10.1042/bj1840421

Incorporation of 3H from delta-(L-alpha-amino (4,5-3H)adipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-(4,4-3H)valine into isopenicillin N.

J O'Sullivan, R C Bleaney, J A Huddleston, E P Abraham
PMCID: PMC1161777  PMID: 575040

Abstract

1. delta-(L-alpha-Amino[4,5-3H]adipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-[4,4-3H]valine has been synthesized from its constituent amino acids, the L-alpha-amino[4,5-3H]adipic acid being obtained by reduction with 3H2 of methyl 5-acetamido-5,5-diethoxycarbonylpent-2-enoate and subsequent decarboxylation and hydrolysis. 2. In a cell-free system prepared by lysis of protoplasts of Cephalosporium acremonium 3H was incorporated from the doubly labelled tripeptide into a compound that behaved like penicillin N or isopenicillin N. The relative specific radioactivities of the alpha-aminoadipyl and penicillamine moieties of the penicillin were the same (within experimental error) as those of the alpha-aminoadipic acid and valine residues respectively of the tripeptide. 3. The behaviour of the labelled alpha-aminoadipic acid from the penicillin to the L-amino acid oxidase of Crotalus adamanteus venom showed that it was mainly L-alpha-aminoadipic acid. 4. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the carbon skeleton of the LLD-tripeptide is incorporated intact into the penicillin molecule and that the first product is isopenicillin N.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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