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Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Enzymatic Cascade Reactions for the Synthesis of Chiral Amino Alcohols from L-lysine
Published on: February 16, 2018
Alanine-dependent reactions of 5'-deoxypyridoxal in water
Maybelle K Go1, John P Richard
1Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
Abstract:
The non-enzymatic reaction of 5'-deoxypyridoxal (DPL) with l-alanine in water at 25 degrees C was investigated. DPL reacts with alanine to form an imine, which then undergoes deprotonation at the alpha-amino carbon of alanine to form a resonance delocalized DPL-stabilized carbanion. At early reaction times the only detectable products are pyruvate and the dimeric species formed by addition of the alpha-pyridine stabilized carbanion to DPL. No Claisen-type products of addition of the alpha-amino carbanion to DPL, as was previously reported to form from the reaction between DPL and glycine [K. Toth, T.L. Amyes, J.P. Richard, J.P.G. Malthouse, M.E. Ni Beilliu, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126 (2004) 10538-10539], are observed. The electrophile reacts instead at the alpha-pyridyl carbon. This dimer is in chemical equilibrium with reactants. At longer reaction times about 50% of DPL is converted to 5'-deoxypyridoxamine, the thermodynamically favored product of formal transamination of DPL.
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