Synthesis of the suicide substrate D-propargylglycine stereospecifically labelled with deuterium and investigation of its oxidation by D-amino acid oxidase1

Abstract

Stereospecifically deuteriated samples of D-propargylglycine 1 have been prepared by reaction of the labelled Pmc-protected aziridine free acids 22 with a lithium acetylide followed by deprotection. These samples have been used to show that D-amino acid oxidase, in converting D-propargylglycine to the lactone 5, deprotonates C-3 in a non-stereospecific manner. This strongly supports the idea that non-enzymic deprotonation is a key step in the formation of this compound.