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Biosynthesis of Lombricine

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Abstract

IT was previously suggested1,2 that serine ethanolamine phosphodiester (I) was the biological precursor of lombricine (II), a substance first isolated from earthworms by Thoai and Robin3. This suggestion was strengthened by the discovery of serine ethanolamine phosphodiester in earthworms2,4 and by the finding that the serine moiety of both lombricine5 and serine ethanolamine phosphodiester4 had the unusual D-configuration. Experiments with inorganic phosphorus-32, [1 : 2-14C] ethanolamine and DL-[3-14C] serine have now provided additional evidence for this view. Furthermore, experiments with L-[amidino-14C] arginine have shown that the amidino group of lombricine is derived from the amidino group of arginine (III), probably by a transamidinase catalysed transfer of the amidino group to serine ethanolamine phosphodiester with the formation of ornithine (IV):

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References

  1. Ennor, A. H., and Morrison, J. F., Physiol. Rev., 38, 631 (1958).

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  2. Rosenberg, H., and Ennor, A. H., Biochem. J. (in the press).

  3. Thoai, N. v., and Robin, Y., Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 14, 76 (1954).

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  4. Ennor, A. H., Rosenberg, H., Rossiter, R. J., Beatty, I. M., and Gaffney, T., Biochem. J. (in the press).

  5. Beatty, I. M., Magrath, D. I., and Ennor, A. H., Nature, 183, 591 (1959).

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Author notes

  1. R. J. ROSSITER: On study leave from Department of Biochemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.

  2. T. GAFFNEY: Australian National University Scholar.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra

    R. J. ROSSITER, T. GAFFNEY, H. ROSENBERG & A. H. ENNOR

Authors
  1. R. J. ROSSITER
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  2. T. GAFFNEY
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  3. H. ROSENBERG
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  4. A. H. ENNOR
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ROSSITER, R., GAFFNEY, T., ROSENBERG, H. et al. Biosynthesis of Lombricine. Nature 185, 383–384 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/185383a0

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