Enzymatic Synthesis of 4-Methyl- and 4-Ethyl-L-glutamic Acids

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00062a015

This paper reports the activity of glutamic oxalacetic aminotransferase (GOT) from pig heart and bacteria for racemic 4-hydroxy-, 4-methyl-, and 4-ethyl-2-ketoglutaric acids.These compounds are good substrates for GOT with V_max values of, respectively, 70, 90, and 130 percent relative to the natural substrate, 2-ketoglutaric acid.GOT displays high enantioselectivity toward 4-methyl-2-ketoglutaric acid and 4-ethyl-2-ketoglutaric acid; the synthesis of both diastereoisomers of the corresponding 4-substituted L-glutamic acids is thus possible.