Untersuchungen zur Synthese und biologischen Bedeutung von Glutaminsäure-1-semialdehyd als Vorstufe der Chlorophylle / Investigations on the Synthesis and Biological Significance of Glutamic-1-semialdehyde as a Precursor of the Chlorophylls

Abstract

Glutamic-1-semialdehyde which is discussed to be involved in the early steps of chlorophyll biosynthesis, has been synthesized from glutamic acid by reduction of several N-protected carboxylic acid derivatives like the N-CBO-glutamic acid-1-dimethyl amide or methylanilide, the pyroglutamic acid imidazolide and the acid chlorides of N-phthaioyl-glutamic acid-5-methyl ester or 5-benzylester. The α-aminoaldehyde could only be generated in solution, where it is polymerized rapidly. Due to its instability, it is suggested thal glutamic semialdehyde plays no role as a free metabolite in green plants.