Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: werdnarolyat on March 30, 2006, 04:53:48 AM
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Hi,
does anybody know the reaction mechanism of the break down of amino acids to fatty acids and ammonia?
The situation I'm looking at is the break down of proteins by alkaline hydrolysis. I read that the proteins break down into their amino acids, then the amino acids into fatty acids and ammonia. I can only find this as a written statment not as chemical equation or mechanism. I'll keep looking.
Thanks.
Andrew
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In cells, the breakdown of individual amino acids to simple metabolites (glucose precursors, fatty acid precursors, and ammonia) are complex multi-step pathways, so there is no simple mechanism to describe the breakdown of all amino acids. It differs for each amino acid (or at least group of similar amino acids). Any good biochemistry text should have detailed reation sequences showing the degradation of each amino acid.
It's also worth noting that amino acids are rarely used to form fatty acids, since most amino acid breakdown occurs during times of high metabolic need. Usually the resulting metabolites from amino acid breakdown will be converted to glucose (from the glucogenic amino acids) or ketone bodies (from the ketogenic amino acids).
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Degradation aminoacids to fatty acids and ammonia undergoes under alkali fusion (solid NaOH and heat)
Did you see a mechanism of reaction, for example, for destructive distillation of wood?
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thanks for your replies.
It's also worth noting that amino acids are rarely used to form fatty acids, since most amino acid breakdown occurs during times of high metabolic need.
the problem i'm investigating is microbial methane production, I found out about the amino acid breakdown from this site page:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/w7241e/w7241e0f.htm (http://www.fao.org/docrep/w7241e/w7241e0f.htm)
if that gives a better idea of what i'm doing.
thanks again.