Chemical Properties
White Solid
Uses
Ethionine-induced inhibition of protein synthesis and lowering of ATP level in the liver.
Definition
ChEBI: An S-ethylhomocysteine that has S-configuration at the chiral centre.
Biological Activity
An analog of methionine th at interferes with the normal methylation of DNA and other methylation pathways, and induces pancreatic toxicity and liver cancer. However, in animal studies, it has also been shown to act synergistically with methionine-depletion to block the growth and metastasis of methionine-dependent tumors.
Purification Methods
Likely impurities are N-acetyl-(R and S)-ethionine, S-methionine, and R-ethionine. Crystallise it from water by adding 4volumes of EtOH or 85% aqueous EtOH. It sublimes at 196-216o/0.3mm with 99.1% recovery and unracemised [Gross & Gradsky J Am Chem Soc 77 1678 1955]. [Weiss & Stekol J Am Chem Soc 73 2399 1951, Greenstein & Winitz The Chemistry of the Amino Acids J. Wiley, Vol 3 pp 2658, 2659 1961, Beilstein 4 IV 3194.]
