SYNTHESIS OF 3-ARSONOPYRUVATE AND ITS INTERACTION WITH PHOSPHOENOLPYRUVATE MUTASE

3-Arsonopyruvate was prepared in four steps from glycine. The arsenic- carbon bond was formed by a Meyer reaction between alkaline arsenite a nd 2-bromo-3-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid; the 3-arsono-2-h ydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl) propionic acid formed was oxidized with perio date to give 3-arsonopyruvate. This proves to be an alternative substr ate for phosphoenolpyruvate mutase, giving pyruvate, which was assayed using lactate dehydrogenase. The K-m is 20 mu M, similar to that obse rved for the natural substrate phosphonopyruvate (17 mu M), whereas th e k(cat) of 0.01 s(-1) was much lower than that for phosphonopyruvate (58 s(-1)). Arsonopyruvate competitively inhibited the action of the m utase on phosphonopyruvate.