J. Biochem, 1982, Vol. 91, No. 6 2087-2090
© 1982 Japanese Biochemical Society
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Novel Formation of
-Amino Acids and Their Derivatives from Oxo Acids and Ammonia in an Aqueous Medium
Mitsubishi-Kasei Institute of Life Sciences 11 Minamiooya, Machida, Tokyo 194
In the course of a study of chemical evolution in the primeval sea, a novel reaction of carbonyl compounds with ammonia was found. Glyoxylic acid reacted with ammonia to afford N-oxalylglycine, which gave glycine in a 320 % yield after 6 n HC1 hydrolysis. Similarly, glyoxylic acid was treated with methylamine to give N-oxalylsarcosine, which afforded sarcosine in a 912% yield upon hydrolysis. Pyruvic acid reacted with ammonia to give N-acetylalanine, which gave alanine in a 14% yield upon hydrolysis. These reactions provide a novel and facile route to a-amino acids and their derivatives. A mechanism for the reactions is proposed.