The reciprocal exclusion by L-dopa (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) and L-tyrosine of their incorporation as single units into a soluble rat brain protein

Abstract

Several compounds, structurally and metabolically related to phenylalanine and tyrosine, were tested for their effects on the incorporations of phenylalanine and tyrosine as single units into a protein of the soluble subcellular fraction of rat brain. Of the compounds tested, only L-dopa (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) inhibited these incorporations. Further, L-dopa was incorporated into a protein of the same fraction in such a way that it excluded the incorporation of tyrosine as a single unit. Conversely, tyrosine inhibited and excluded the incorporation of L-dopa. The incorporation of L-dopa required ATP (apparent K_m = 0.23mM), KCl (apparent K_m = 20mM) and MgCl2 (optimal concentration range, 5-16mM). These requirements were similar to those previously determined for the incorporation of tyrosine and phenylalanine. The inactivation rate of the enzymic systems for L-tyrosine and L-dopa incorporations, when kept at 37°C, was the same for both amino acids (half-life = 80 min). It is suggested that the acceptor for the incorporation of dopa is the same as that for the incorporation of tyrosine.