Synthesis of ophthalmic acid in liver and kidney in vivo

Biochem J. 1978 Feb 15;170(2):415-9. doi: 10.1042/bj1700415.

Abstract

The synthesis of ophthalmic acid, an analogue of glutathione, was studied in vivo in mouse liver and kidney after administration of either L-alpha-aminobutyrate or L-gamma-glutamyl-L-alpha-aminobutyrate as precursor. L-alpha-aminobutyrate accumulated to a much greater extent, and induced a much greater synthesis of ophthalmic acid in the liver than in the kidney. In contrast, L-gamma-glutamyl-L-alpha-aminobutyrate initiated a large and more rapid synthesis of ophthalmic acid in the kidney than in the liver. Experiments with L-gamma-[G(-14)C]glutamyl-L-alpha-aminobutyrate showed that, although part of the dipeptide is degraded to its constituent amino acids, a significant proportion is directly incorporated into kidney ophthalmic acid. In contrast L-gamma-glutamyl-L-alpha-aminobutyrate serves poorly as a direct precursor of liver ophthalmic acid. The present results show that kidney gamma-glutamyl tripeptide synthesis can proceed directly from an exogenous gamma-glutamyl dipeptide precursor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aminobutyrates / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Dipeptides / metabolism
  • Glutamates / metabolism
  • Glutathione / analogs & derivatives
  • Glutathione / biosynthesis
  • Kidney / metabolism*
  • Liver / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Oligopeptides / biosynthesis*

Substances

  • Aminobutyrates
  • Dipeptides
  • Glutamates
  • Oligopeptides
  • ophthalmic acid
  • Glutathione