asparagine

L-Asparagine
IUPAC name	Asparagine
Other names	2-Amino-3-carbamoylpropanoic acid
Identifiers
CAS number	70-47-3 Y
PubChem	236
EC-number	200-735-9
SMILES	N[C@@H](CC(N)=O)C(O)=O
Properties
Molecular formula	C4H8N2O3
Molar mass	132.12 g mol−1
Supplementary data page
Structure and properties	n, εr, etc.
Thermodynamic data	Phase behaviour Solid, liquid, gas
Spectral data	UV, IR, NMR, MS
Y (what is this?)  (verify) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Asparagine (abbreviated as Asn or N; Asx or B represent either asparagine or aspartic acid) is one of the 20 most common natural amino acids on Earth. It has carboxamide as the side chain's functional group. It is not an essential amino acid. Its codons are AAU and AAC.^[1]

A reaction between asparagine and reducing sugars or reactive carbonyls produces acrylamide (acrylic amide) in food when heated to sufficient temperature. These products occur in baked goods such as french fries, potato chips, and roasted coffee.

History

Asparagine was first isolated in 1806 from asparagus juice, in which it is abundant -- hence its name -- becoming the first amino acid to be isolated. The characteristic smell observed in the urine of individuals after their consumption of asparagus is attributed to various metabolic byproducts of asparagine.

Structural function in proteins

Since the asparagine side chain can form hydrogen bond interactions with the peptide backbone, asparagine residues are often found near the beginning and the end of alpha-helices, and in turn motifs in beta sheets. Its role can be thought as "capping" the hydrogen bond interactions which would otherwise be satisfied by the polypeptide backbone. Glutamines, with an extra methylene group, have more conformational entropy and thus are less useful in this regard.

Asparagine also provides key sites for N-linked glycosylation, modification of the protein chain with the addition of carbohydrate chains.

Sources

Dietary Sources

Asparagine is not an essential amino acid, which means that it can be synthesized from central metabolic pathway intermediates in humans and is not required in the diet. Asparagine is found in:

• Animal sources: dairy, whey, beef, poultry, eggs, fish, lactalbumin, seafood
• Plant sources: asparagus, potatoes, legumes, nuts, seeds, soy, whole grains

Biosynthesis

The precursor to asparagine is oxaloacetate. Oxaloacetate is converted to aspartate using a transaminase enzyme. The enzyme transfers the amino group from glutamate to oxaloacetate producing α-ketoglutarate and aspartate. The enzyme asparagine synthetase produces asparagine, AMP, glutamate, and pyrophosphate from aspartate, glutamine, and ATP. In the asparagine synthetase reaction, ATP is used to activate aspartate, forming β-aspartyl-AMP. Glutamine donates an ammonium group which reacts with β-aspartyl-AMP to form asparagine and free AMP.

The biosynthesis of asparagine from oxaloacetate

Degradation

Aspartate is a glucogenic amino acid. L-asparaginase hydrolyzes the amide group to form aspartate and ammonium. A transaminase converts the aspartate to oxaloacetate which can then be metabolized in the citric acid cycle or gluconeogenesis.

Function

The nervous system requires asparagine. It also plays an important role in the synthesis of ammonia.

Betaine structure

(S)-Asparagine (left) and (R)-asparagine (right) in zwitterionic form at neutral pH

References

External links

• Asparagus Makes Your Pee Stink