Acetolactate
Encyclopedia
α-Acetolactic acid is a precursor in the biosynthesis of the branched chain amino acids valine
and leucine
. α-Acetolactic acid is produced from two molecules of pyruvic acid
by acetolactate synthase
. α-Acetolactic acid can also be decarboxylated
by alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase
to produce acetoin.
Valine
Valine is an α-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCHCH2. L-Valine is one of 20 proteinogenic amino acids. Its codons are GUU, GUC, GUA, and GUG. This essential amino acid is classified as nonpolar...
and leucine
Leucine
Leucine is a branched-chain α-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCHCH2CH2. Leucine is classified as a hydrophobic amino acid due to its aliphatic isobutyl side chain. It is encoded by six codons and is a major component of the subunits in ferritin, astacin and other 'buffer' proteins...
. α-Acetolactic acid is produced from two molecules of pyruvic acid
Pyruvic acid
Pyruvic acid is an organic acid, a ketone, as well as the simplest of the alpha-keto acids. The carboxylate ion of pyruvic acid, CH3COCOO−, is known as pyruvate, and is a key intersection in several metabolic pathways....
by acetolactate synthase
Acetolactate synthase
The acetolactate synthase enzyme is a protein found in plants and micro-organisms. ALS catalyzes the first step in the synthesis of the branched-chain amino acids ....
. α-Acetolactic acid can also be decarboxylated
Decarboxylation
Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide . Usually, decarboxylation refers to a reaction of carboxylic acids, removing a carbon atom from a carbon chain. The reverse process, which is the first chemical step in photosynthesis, is called carbonation, the addition of CO2 to...
by alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase
Acetolactate decarboxylase
In enzymology, an acetolactate decarboxylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction-2-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-oxobutanoate \rightleftharpoons -2-acetoin + CO2...
to produce acetoin.