Acylation

Last updated

In chemistry, acylation is a broad class of chemical reactions in which an acyl group (R−C=O) is added to a substrate. The compound providing the acyl group is called the acylating agent. The substrate to be acylated and the product include the following:

Contents

A particularly common type of acylation is acetylation, the addition of the acetyl group. Closely related to acylation is formylation, which employ sources of "HCO+ in place of "RCO+".

Examples

Because they form a strong electrophile when treated with Lewis acids, acyl halides are commonly used as acylating agents. For example, Friedel–Crafts acylation uses acetyl chloride (CH3COCl) as the agent and aluminum chloride (AlCl3) as a catalyst to add an acetyl group to benzene: [1]

Friedel-Crafts acylation of benzene by ethanoyl chloride Benzen acylowany.svg
Friedel-Crafts acylation of benzene by ethanoyl chloride

This reaction is an example of electrophilic aromatic substitution.

Acyl halides and acid anhydrides of carboxylic acids are also common acylating agents. In some cases, active esters exhibit comparable reactivity. All react with amines to form amides and with alcohols to form esters by nucleophilic acyl substitution.

Acylation can be used to prevent rearrangement reactions that would normally occur in alkylation. To do this an acylation reaction is performed, then the carbonyl is removed by Clemmensen reduction or a similar process. [2]

Acylation in biology

Protein acylation is the post-translational modification of proteins via the attachment of functional groups through acyl linkages. Protein acylation has been observed as a mechanism controlling biological signaling. [3] One prominent type is fatty acylation, the addition of fatty acids to particular amino acids (e.g. myristoylation, palmitoylation or palmitoleoylation). [4] Different types of fatty acids engage in global protein acylation. [5] Palmitoleoylation is an acylation type where the monounsaturated fatty acid palmitoleic acid is covalently attached to serine or threonine residues of proteins. [6] [7] Palmitoleoylation appears to play a significant role in the trafficking, targeting, and function of Wnt proteins. [8] [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ester</span> Compound derived from an acid

In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group of that acid is replaced by an organyl group. Analogues derived from oxygen replaced by other chalcogens belong to the ester category as well. According to some authors, organyl derivatives of acidic hydrogen of other acids are esters as well, but not according to the IUPAC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lipid</span> Substance of biological origin that is soluble in nonpolar solvents

Lipids are a broad group of organic compounds which include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins, monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include storing energy, signaling, and acting as structural components of cell membranes. Lipids have applications in the cosmetic and food industries, and in nanotechnology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acyl group</span> Chemical group (R–C=O)

In chemistry, an acyl group is a moiety derived by the removal of one or more hydroxyl groups from an oxoacid, including inorganic acids. It contains a double-bonded oxygen atom and an organyl group or hydrogen in the case of formyl group. In organic chemistry, the acyl group is usually derived from a carboxylic acid, in which case it has the formula R−C(=O)−, where R represents an organyl group or hydrogen. Although the term is almost always applied to organic compounds, acyl groups can in principle be derived from other types of acids such as sulfonic acids and phosphonic acids. In the most common arrangement, acyl groups are attached to a larger molecular fragment, in which case the carbon and oxygen atoms are linked by a double bond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thioester</span> Organosulfur compounds of the form R–SC(=O)–R’

In organic chemistry, thioesters are organosulfur compounds with the molecular structure R−C(=O)−S−R’. They are analogous to carboxylate esters with the sulfur in the thioester replacing oxygen in the carboxylate ester, as implied by the thio- prefix. They are the product of esterification of a carboxylic acid with a thiol. In biochemistry, the best-known thioesters are derivatives of coenzyme A, e.g., acetyl-CoA. The R and R' represent organyl groups, or H in the case of R.

The Friedel–Crafts reactions are a set of reactions developed by Charles Friedel and James Crafts in 1877 to attach substituents to an aromatic ring. Friedel–Crafts reactions are of two main types: alkylation reactions and acylation reactions. Both proceed by electrophilic aromatic substitution.

In organic chemistry, an acyl chloride is an organic compound with the functional group −C(=O)Cl. Their formula is usually written R−COCl, where R is a side chain. They are reactive derivatives of carboxylic acids. A specific example of an acyl chloride is acetyl chloride, CH3COCl. Acyl chlorides are the most important subset of acyl halides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acyl halide</span> Oxoacid compound with an –OH group replaced by a halogen

In organic chemistry, an acyl halide is a chemical compound derived from an oxoacid by replacing a hydroxyl group with a halide group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acetyl chloride</span> Organic compound (CH₃COCl)

Acetyl chloride is an acyl chloride derived from acetic acid. It belongs to the class of organic compounds called acid halides. It is a colorless, corrosive, volatile liquid. Its formula is commonly abbreviated to AcCl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organic acid anhydride</span> Any chemical compound having two acyl groups bonded to the same oxygen atom

An organic acid anhydride is an acid anhydride that is also an organic compound. An acid anhydride is a compound that has two acyl groups bonded to the same oxygen atom. A common type of organic acid anhydride is a carboxylic anhydride, where the parent acid is a carboxylic acid, the formula of the anhydride being (RC(O))2O. Symmetrical acid anhydrides of this type are named by replacing the word acid in the name of the parent carboxylic acid by the word anhydride. Thus, (CH3CO)2O is called acetic anhydride.Mixed (or unsymmetrical) acid anhydrides, such as acetic formic anhydride (see below), are known, whereby reaction occurs between two different carboxylic acids. Nomenclature of unsymmetrical acid anhydrides list the names of both of the reacted carboxylic acids before the word "anhydride" (for example, the dehydration reaction between benzoic acid and propanoic acid would yield "benzoic propanoic anhydride").

Nucleophilic acyl substitution describes a class of substitution reactions involving nucleophiles and acyl compounds. In this type of reaction, a nucleophile – such as an alcohol, amine, or enolate – displaces the leaving group of an acyl derivative – such as an acid halide, anhydride, or ester. The resulting product is a carbonyl-containing compound in which the nucleophile has taken the place of the leaving group present in the original acyl derivative. Because acyl derivatives react with a wide variety of nucleophiles, and because the product can depend on the particular type of acyl derivative and nucleophile involved, nucleophilic acyl substitution reactions can be used to synthesize a variety of different products.

In enzymology, a [acyl-carrier-protein] S-malonyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACOT2</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Acyl-CoA thioesterase 2, also known as ACOT2, is an enzyme which in humans is encoded by the ACOT2 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACOT4</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 4 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ACOT4 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACOT11</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 11 also known as StAR-related lipid transfer protein 14 (STARD14) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ACOT11 gene. This gene encodes a protein with acyl-CoA thioesterase activity towards medium (C12) and long-chain (C18) fatty acyl-CoA substrates which relies on its StAR-related lipid transfer domain. Expression of a similar murine protein in brown adipose tissue is induced by cold exposure and repressed by warmth. Expression of the mouse protein has been associated with obesity, with higher expression found in obesity-resistant mice compared with obesity-prone mice. Alternative splicing results in two transcript variants encoding different isoforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HATU</span> Chemical compound

HATU is a reagent used in peptide coupling chemistry to generate an active ester from a carboxylic acid. HATU is used along with Hünig's base, or triethylamine to form amide bonds. Typically DMF is used as solvent, although other polar aprotic solvents can also be used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACOT6</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Acyl-CoA thioesterase 6 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ACOT6 gene. The protein, also known as C14orf42, is an enzyme with thioesterase activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghrelin O-acyltransferase</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Ghrelin O-acyltransferase also known as membrane bound O-acyltransferase domain containing 4 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the MBOAT4 gene. It is homologous to other membrane-bound O-acyltransferases. It is a polytopic membrane protein what takes part in lipid signaling reactions. It is the only known enzyme that catalyzes the acylation of ghrelin through the transfer of n-octanoic acid to ghrelin Ser3. Ghrelin O-acyltransferase function is essential in regulation of appetite and the release of growth hormone. Ghrelin O-acyltransferase is a target for scientific research due to promising applications in the treatment of diabetes, eating disorders, and metabolic diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACOT13</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Acyl-CoA thioesterase 13 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ACOT13 gene. This gene encodes a member of the thioesterase superfamily. In humans, the protein co-localizes with microtubules and is essential for sustained cell proliferation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACOT1</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Acyl-CoA thioesterase 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ACOT1 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palmitoleoylation</span> Biochemical reaction

Palmitoleoylation is type of protein lipidation where the monounsaturated fatty acid palmitoleic acid is covalently attached to serine or threonine residues of proteins. Palmitoleoylation appears to play a significant role in trafficking and targeting and function of Wnt proteins.

References

  1. Brown, William H.; Iverson, Brent L.; Anslyn, Eric V.; Foote, Christopher S. (2017). Organic Chemistry (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. p. 1002. ISBN   978-1-305-58035-0. OCLC   974377227.
  2. Vollhardt, Peter; Neil E. Schore (2014). Organic Chemistry: Structure and Function (7th ed.). New York, NY: W.H. Freeman and Company. pp. 714–715. ISBN   978-1-4641-2027-5.
  3. Towler, D A; Gordon, J I; Adams, S P; Glaser, L (1988). "The Biology and Enzymology of Eukaryotic Protein Acylation". Annual Review of Biochemistry . 57 (1): 69–97. doi:10.1146/annurev.bi.57.070188.000441. PMID   3052287.
  4. Resh, M. D. (1999). "Fatty acylation of proteins: New insights into membrane targeting of myristoylated and palmitoylated proteins". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research . 1451 (1): 1–16. doi: 10.1016/S0167-4889(99)00075-0 . PMID   10446384.
  5. Mohammadzadeh, Fatemeh; Hosseini, Vahid; Mehdizadeh, Amir; Dani, Christian; Darabi, Masoud (2019). "A method for the gross analysis of global protein acylation by gas–liquid chromatography". IUBMB Life . 71 (3): 340–346. doi: 10.1002/iub.1975 . ISSN   1521-6551. PMID   30501005.
  6. Hannoush, Rami N. (October 2015). "Synthetic protein lipidation". Current Opinion in Chemical Biology . 28: 39–46. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2015.05.025. ISSN   1879-0402. PMID   26080277.
  7. Pelegri, Francisco; Danilchik, Michael; Sutherland, Ann (2016-12-13). Vertebrate development : maternal to zygotic control. Cham, Switzerland. ISBN   9783319460956. OCLC   966313034.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. Hosseini, Vahid; Dani, Christian; Geranmayeh, Mohammad Hossein; Mohammadzadeh, Fatemeh; Nazari Soltan Ahmad, Saeed; Darabi, Masoud (2018-10-20). "Wnt lipidation: Roles in trafficking, modulation, and function". Journal of Cellular Physiology . 234 (6): 8040–8054. doi:10.1002/jcp.27570. ISSN   1097-4652. PMID   30341908. S2CID   53009014.
  9. Nile, Aaron H.; Hannoush, Rami N. (February 2016). "Fatty acylation of Wnt proteins". Nature Chemical Biology . 12 (2): 60–69. doi:10.1038/nchembio.2005. ISSN   1552-4469. PMID   26784846.