A. Ferjancicbiagini et al., HOG KIDNEY AND INTESTINE AMINOACYLASE-CATALYZED ACYLATION OF L-METHIONINE IN AQUEOUS-MEDIA, Biocatalysis and biotransformation, 15(4), 1997, pp. 313-323
Synthesis of N-acyl-L-methionine derivatives was catalyzed by hog kidn
ey and intestinal aminoacylase in aqueous media using various acyl don
ors with acyl-chain lengths ranging from 1 to 6. Various reaction cond
itions were tested by varying the pH of the buffer, the water-miscible
organic solvent and Zn2+ concentrations. Using short chain fatty acid
s, N-acyl-L-methionine derivatives were efficiently synthesized by bot
h enzymes with a yield of about 20-30%, depending on the acid used. Th
e optimal yield was achieved after a 17-h incubation of the reaction m
ixture containing 0.02 M acyl sodium salt, 0.2 M L-methionine, 10 mu M
ZnCl2 and 120 mU of aminoacylase in a 0.2M sodium phosphate buffer at
pH 6.0 and 37 degrees C. The part potentially played by acylase in th
e in vivo acylation of amino acids, and by extension that of proteins
in general, is discussed.