Nomenclature
CAS number: 13552-61-9
α-Amino-2,3-dihydro-2-thioxo-1
H-imidazole-4-propanoic
acid; 2-mercaptohistidine; α-amino-2-mercapto-4-imidazolepropionic acid.
C
6H
9N
3O
2S; mol wt 187.22.
C 38.49%, H 4.85%, N 22.44%, O 17.09%, S 17.13%.
Description and references
Prepn from histidine: Ashley, Harington, J. Chem. Soc. 1930, 2586; from
aspartic acid: Harington, Overhoff, Biochem.
J. 27, 338 (1933). Alternate procedures:
Hegedüs, Helv. Chim. Acta 38, 22 (1955); Marei, Raphael, J. Chem.
Soc. 1958, 2624. Review: J. P.
Greenstein, M. Winitz, Chemistry of the Amino
Acids vol. 3 (John Wiley, New York, 1961) pp
2671-2675.
Derivative
l-Form.
Properties
Plates from water, darkens at 290°, not melted
at 310°. [α]D20 10° (c = 2 in N HCl). pK11 1.84; pK21 8.47; pK31 11.4. Readily
sol in hot water, sparingly sol in water at room temp. Tends to form
supersaturated solns. Practically insol in alcohol, other organic
solvents.