FURTHER FATE OF AMINO ACIDS 101 



The ketone acid is then transformed to a lower fatty 

 acid, isovaleric acid, by cleavage of COa. 



CH,CH. CH,CH, CH, 



V + I 



CH , C = O COOH 



I by 

 cleavage 



a CH 9 



I 



COOH 

 Isovaleric acid Acetone Acetic acid 



By cleavage of isovaleric acid between the a + ft 

 carbon atoms acetone and acetic acid may be formed, 

 both of which may finally yield CO 2 + H 2 O. 



Another possibility of the transformation of straight 

 chain amino acids is first the formation of hydroxy- 

 amino acids, then oxidative deamination with the sub- 

 sequent splitting off of CO 2 from the nitrogen free 

 residue, or fatty acid, and the final direct change of the 

 latter to COa+HsO, thus : 



R.CH 2 .CH.NH 2 .COOH is first changed to 

 R.CH 2 .C(OH).NH 2 .COOH 

 Hydroxy-amino acid 



then oxidative deamination follows with the formation 

 of a ketone acid. 



