) -EJB 93 0201/3 D~-3-Arsonoalanine has been synthesized by the Strecker synthesis from the unstable compound arsonoacetaldehyde. It inactivates pig heart cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase and inhibits aspartate ammonia-lyase by competing with aspartate (KJK,,, 0.23). The fumarate analogue (0-3-arsonoacrylic acid and the malate analogue (RS)-3-arsonolactate also inhibit fumarate hydratase, competing with fumarate (K,/K, 1.8) and malate (Ki/Km 1.6) respectively. Attempted non-enzymic transamination of 3-arsonoalanine gave elimination of arsenite, in contrast with the transamination of 3-phosphonoalanine, which is either successful or leads to loss of phosphate.Phosphonoalanine (2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid) occurs naturally (Horiguchi, 1984) and is biologically transaminated (Roberts et al., 1968). Its transamination product, phosphonopyruvate, is the first product in the biosynthesis of the carbon-phosphorus bond and is formed by isomerization of phosphoenolpyruvate (Seidel et al., 1988; Bowman et al., 1988). The present study describes the synthesis of the arsenical analogue of phosphoalanine. Since a 2-oxoalkylarsonic acid is unstable (Lacoste et al., 1992), any transamination of 3-arsonoalanine to arsonopyruvate might be followed by release of arsenate ; thus it might poison organisms that take it up. Kamal (1989) explored many synthetic routes that might lead to arsonoalanine, but it was only after Lacoste et al. (1992) showed that arsonoacetaldehyde, although unstable, could be made in solution by the action of periodate on 2,3-dihydroxypropylarsonic acid, that we could make arsonoalanine from this aldehyde by a Strecker synthesis. We therefore report its synthesis and some of its properties, as well as its elimination of arsenite on attempted transamination to arsonopyruvate.Since arsonoalanine is an analogue of aspartate, we have tested it on two enzymes that use aspartate as substrate: aspartate aminotransferase, which was slowly inactivated, and aspartate ammonia-lyase, which was inhibited competitively. As aspartate ammonia-lyase and fumarate hydratase (fumarase) catalyse analogous reactions involving reversible trans-elimination of water or ammonium from (S)-malate or L-aspartate, respectively, with the formation of fumarate (Scheme l), we also studied the action of the fumarate analogue (E)-3-arsonoacrylate and the malate analogue 3-arsonolactate (3-arsono-2-hydroxypropionic acid) on fumarate hydratase. They also proved to be competitive inhibitors.