2amino3carboxymuconate

2-amino-3-carboxymuconate is a substituted muconate derivative in which an amino group is attached at the 2-position and a carboxyl group at the 3-position of the muconate core. It commonly exists as an anionic species at physiological pH due to carboxylate groups, and its conjugated diene system gives it reactivity characteristic of muconate-type compounds, including susceptibility to nucleophilic additions and isomerization. The molecule is part of discussions of aromatic compound degradation and related metabolic pathways.

In biological contexts, the term appears in studies of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan catabolism and in microbial routes for degrading aromatic compounds. Amino- and hydroxy-substituted muconates can arise as intermediates during oxidative ring-opening and subsequent enzymatic transformations carried out by dioxygenases and dehydrogenases. Depending on the organism and enzymatic repertoire, 2-amino-3-carboxymuconate may function as an intermediate that is further converted to downstream products such as 2-aminomuconate semialdehyde or quinolinic acid. Naming conventions and exact positional assignments can vary across sources.

Properties and study of this compound are primarily of interest in biochemistry, enzymology, and metabolic engineering. Its reactive and often short-lived nature necessitates trapping or rapid detection methods in experimental work. As a metabolic intermediate, it provides insight into aromatic degradation pathways and, in some contexts, connections to NAD biosynthesis through quinolinic acid formation.