Lysine biosynthesis in Saccharomyces. Conversion of α-aminoadipate into α-aminoadipic δ-semialdehyde

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Abstract
The reduction of α-aminoadipate to α-aminoadipic δ-semialdehyde by a cell-free extract of Saccharomyces is shown to be a three-step process. First the amino acid reacts with ATP to form an adenylyl derivative. Then the adenylyl derivative of α-aminoadipate is reduced in the presence of NADPH. In the third step the reduced adenylyl derivative of the amino acid is cleaved to form α-aminoadipic δ-semialdehyde. The presence of Mg2+is necessary for the first and second steps. The third step does not need any cofactors. The product of the first step was isolated by chromatography after incubating the cell-free extract of Saccharomyces with α-aminoadipate, ATP and Mg2+. The isolated product was identified as an adenylyl derivative of α-aminoadipate and could be converted into α-aminoadipic δ-semialdehyde under the stated experimental conditions. The product of the second step was too unstable to be identified.