Studies on 4-keto-L-proline.

The administration of ketoproline to chick embryos resulted in an increase in the free hydroxyproline. This phenomenon is explained by the inhibitory action of ketoproline on the catabolism of hydroxyproline as well as by the conversion of the former to the latter. Ketoproline was found to be reduced to hydroxyproline by the supernatant fraction of rat-kidney homogenate in the presence of a reduced pyridine nucleotide.