Die Kristallstruktur des Ectoin, einer neuen osmoregulatorisch wirksamen Aminosäure / The Crystal Structure of Ectoine, a Novel Amino Acid of Potential Osmoregulatory Function

Abstract

Abstract The crystal structure of ectoine (1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-methyl-4-pyrimidine carboxylic acid) isolated from the extremely halophilic phototrophic bacterium Ectothiorhodospira halochloris was determined by X-ray analysis. This novel cyclic amino acid forms zwitterionic molecules with delocalized π-bonding in the N-C-N group of the hydrated pyrimidine ring. The molecules are connected by N-H ...O hydrogen bonds. The excellent solubility of ectoine in water can be explained by its structural features which also account for its function as a compatible solute in halophilic bacteria.