Transamination of Ring-Substituted L-Phenylalanines by an Extract from Rat Liver Mitochondria

Abstract

The L- and D-isomers of m-tyrosine, o-tyrosine, p-chlorophenylalanine (p-CP), and p-fluorophenylalanine (p-FP) were tested as substrates for the soluble tyrosine aminotransferase and a mitochondrial extract of rat liver by measuring the amino acids formed with 2-oxoglutarate, oxaloacetate, and pyruvate as acceptors. None of the above were substrates for the soluble enzyme. L-m-Tyrosine, L-p-CP, and L-p-FP were transaminated at substantial rates (16–25% of the rate for L-tyrosine) by the mitochondrial enzyme with all three keto acids as amino group acceptors. A slow but definite transamination of L-o-tyrosine by the mitochondrial enzyme was demonstrated using labeled 2-oxoglutarate as acceptor.