J. Sloneker, Danute G. Orentas
May 5, 1962
Citations
6
Influential Citations
178
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Nature
Abstract
PYRUVIC acid, a compound widely distributed in Nature as a metabolic intermediate, is a building unit for many compounds of biological origin. For example, in the biosynthesis of sialic acid—a carbohydrate associated with mucoproteins in animals—pyruvic acid is combined enzymatically with N-acetyl mannosamine by an aldol-type condensation1,2. Muramic acid—a carbohydrate constituent of bacterial cell walls—is thought to arise from a condensation of pyruvic acid, as phosphoenol pyruvate, with N-acetyl glucosamine3. Also, pyruvic acid has been isolated and identified as a component of a commercial red seaweed polysaccharide. Structural studies indicate the presence of one acid residue for each 51 hexose units4,5.