Nonessential Amino Acid Synthesis

[cpaprox]

Hey, so, I have a class on Health Education and got assigned to do a demonstration on a topic from Biochemistry.

 

I chose the sub-topic of how nonessential amino acids are synthesized and have to help my fellow students:

Define what biosynthesis is

Outline the reactions and intermediates

The mechanisms for each reaction

Explain how not having any of the nonessential a.a.'s is not entirely unhealthy

 

I'm also making a table containing the nonessential amino acids along with what reaction synthesizes it, it's substrate, and intermediate.

 

I'm stuck at trying to figure out which parts of an illustrated reaction is part of the substrates.

 

I'm also not sure if all reactions have an intermediate or only some.

 

I may be able to manage the first 2 objectives and the 4th objective but I'm still a kinda lost with the table and mechanisms.

 

I don't really have a solid background in chemistry but I'm trying my best to make this work. I just need a push in the right direction.

 

All I need to know at the moment are the names of the reactions that produce Glutamine, Proline, Serine, Glycine, Cysteine, and Tyrosine,

 

I also want to know if Asparagine is synthesized through amination or amidation.

 

I'm only given 5-10 minutes to explain all this and have read a lot of stuff online and in the 30th Edition of Harper's Illustrated Biochemistry. Having trouble analyzing the the illustrations at the moment. Should I call the reaction catalysis for some that don't mention transaminase/amination? Is the substrate for Glutamate NH3, NADPH, and H+ and does it have an intermediate? (Same goes for the others I mentioned above)

 

Any help would be most appreciated.

 

Maybe an attached example of a complete reaction with identifiers?

Edited August 9, 2015 by cpaprox

[CharonY]

I do not think that 10 mins would be enough to describe and list all the steps that you propose. I think you are getting lost in details that do not really help to understand the physiological relevance of the processes.

 

Rather, I suggest that you describe in more rougher terms where the intermediates branch off into the respective pathways. It makes a lot of sense if you specifically check out the branches from TCA (as well as the role of glutamate).

[BabcockHall]

I agree with CharonY. I might focus on one to three kinds of reactions. Transaminations (catalyzed by PLP-containing aminotransferases) are responsible for the synthesis of several nonessential amino acids (Ala, Glu, Asp, and a precursor to Ser come to mind). The reactions that produce Gln from Glu and which produce Asn from Asp are similar but not identical. Both involve ATP, but the ATP is cleaved differently, and the intermediates are somewhat different.