D-Amino Acids: Practical Methods and Protocols: Free D-Amino Acids - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1607413779 ISBN 13: 9781607413776

Publisher: Nova Science Pub Inc, 2009

Synopsis

D-Amino acids are stereoisomers or optical isomers of naturally occurring L-amino acids. D Amino acids and L-amino acids have almost the same physical and chemical properties. D-Amino acids have been considered to be unnatural substances that are produced only when we synthesise amino acids in laboratories or factories. Indeed, equal amounts of D-amino acids and L-amino acids (racemic mixture) are produced by chemical synthesis. Until recently, living organisms were thought to contain exclusively L-amino acids. Before the emergence of life, D- and L-amino acids should have existed on the primitive earth, because amino acids are considered to be produced under the conditions of high temperature, high pressure and lightning. It is an interesting and important question why D-amino acids were eliminated and organisms have evolved using only L-amino acids. This mystery has not been solved. D-Amino acids have been considered exceptional amino acids that exist only in prokaryotes and a part of lower organisms. However, the development and improvement of analytical instruments and methods have revealed that D-amino acids are present in organisms far more in the amount and extent than previously considered. It has become clear that D-amino acids are present in invertebrates and vertebrates including humans and that some of D-amino acids have important physiological functions. Biological systems for synthesis and degradation of D-amino acids have also been found. This volume is dedicated to analytical methods for Free D-Amino acids.

Edition details

• Publisher: Nova Science Pub Inc
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1607413779
• ISBN 13: 9781607413776
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 253
• Editor: Konno Ryuichi, Bruckner Hans, D'Aniello Antimo, Fisher George H., Fujii Noriko, Homma Hiroshi