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Names | |
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IUPAC name (2S)-2-[[(2R)-2-[[(2R)-2-amino-2-carboxyethyl]amino]-2-carboxyethyl]amino]butanedioic acid | |
Other names Toxin C | |
Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) | |
ChEMBL | |
ChemSpider | |
PubChem CID | |
UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
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Properties | |
C10H17N3O8 | |
Molar mass | 307.259 g·mol−1 |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). |
Aspergillomarasmine A is an polyamino acid naturally produced by the mold Aspergillus versicolor . The substance has been reported to inhibit two antibiotic resistance carbapenemase proteins in bacteria, New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1 (NDM-1) and Verona integron-encoded metallo-beta-lactamase (VIM-2), and make those antibiotic-resistant bacteria susceptible to antibiotics. [1] Aspergillomarasmine A is toxic to leaves of barley and other plants, being termed as "Toxin C" when produced by Pyrenophora teres . [2]
The molecule is a tetracarboxylic acid with four -COOH groups. One section of the molecule is the amino acid aspartic acid. This has two alanine [ contradictory ] molecules attached by substituting a hydrogen on the methyl group with a link to the amine group. Aspergillomarasmine B differs in that the last alanine is replaced by glycine.
The crystalline substance was first isolated in 1956, but its name was given until 1965. [3]
In addition to Aspergillus versicolor, aspergillomarasmine A is also produced by the ascomycete Pyrenophora teres where it acts as a toxin in the barley net-spot blotch disease. In P. teres, a biosynthetic precursor of aspergillomarasmine A, L,L-N-(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)-aspartic acid has also been isolated and found to contribute to the phytotoxic properties of this microbe. [4] This precursor, aspergillomarasmine A itself, and a lactam form (anhydroaspergillomarasmine A) are together termed the marasmines. [2]
Other producers of aspergillomarasmine A include Aspergillus flavus , [3] Aspergillus oryzae , [5] Colletotrichum gloeosporioides , and Fusarium oxysporum . [2]
In mice, the LD50 toxic dose of aspergillomarasmine A is 159.8 mg/kg. [6]
Aspergillomarasmine A takes the form of colorless crystals. The chemical is insoluble in common organic solvents, but can dissolve in water under either basic or strongly acidic conditions. [3]
Anhydroaspergillomarasmine A, a lactam of aspergillomarasmine A, chemically called [1-(2-amino-2carboxyethyl)-6-carboxy-3-carboxymethyl-3-piperazinone], can also be found in Pyrenophora teres. The relative amount of these two toxins is dependent upon the pH of the growth medium, with lower pH favoring the lactam form. [2] The lactam can be hydrolyzed to aspergillomarasmine A by treating it with trifluoroacetic acid. [2]
Aspergillomarasmine A functions as a chelating agent, sequestering Fe3+ ions. [7] It can inhibit endothelin converting enzymes even in the live rat, probably by chelating metals required by metalloproteases. [8]
When heated, aspergillomarasmine A decomposes between 225° and 236 °C. Hydrolysis produces L-aspartic acid and racemic[ why? ] 2,3-diaminopropionic acid. Even though the precursor component is chiral, 2,3-diaminopropionic acid easily racemizes in acid. [3]
Aspergillomarasmine A has [α]20°D at pH 7 of -48°. [3]
With nitrous acid aspergillomarasmine A is deaminated,[ clarification needed ] and isoserine with aspartic acid is formed. [3]
Titration reveals changes in ionisation at pK 3.5 and 4.5 due to carboxylic acid groups, and pK 9.5 and 10 due to amino groups. [3] [ clarification needed ]