Studies on the nitroso-glyoxylate reaction. Relative hydroxamic acid production by glyoxylate, pyruvate, and formaldehyde in reactions with 4-nitrosobiphenyl.

The pH rate profiles for the reactions of 4-nitrosobiphenyl with three carbonyl substrates in aqueous buffers were determined by use of chromatographic and spectrophotometric methods. Glyoxylate and formaldehyde caused the conversion of 4-nitrosobiphenyl to N-(4-biphenyl)-formohydroxamic acid, while pyruvate resulted in the production of N-(4-biphenyl)acetohydroxamic acid. The dramatic effect of pH on the kinetics of these reactions provided considerable information concerning the nature of these reactions. The reactions with pyruvate and formaldehyde displayed similar pH rate profiles and were significant only at acidic pH. Glyoxylate displayed a pH rate profile that differed markedly from those of pyruvate and formaldehyde as the pH was increased beyond 2.0. The ability of glyoxylate to convert 4-nitrosobiphenyl to the hydroxamic acid increased rapidly in the pH range 2.0-4.0, above which the pH dependency was constant. This biphasic appearance of the pH rate profile was unique to glyoxylate, since the reactions of pyruvate and formaldehyde became extremely slow as solution neutrality was approached. A second substrate, 4-chloronitrosobenzene, displayed similar pH rate profiles in its reactions with these carbonyl substrates. For 4-nitrosobiphenyl, hydroxamic acid formation by glyoxylate was 10(4) times faster than that by pyruvate at neutral pH, but only about 3-fold faster at pH 1.0. The appearance of the pH rate profile for glyoxylate suggested that this alpha-oxo acid reacts with nitrosoarenes at neutrality via a pathway that is insignificant for pyruvate or formaldehyde. Thus, the nitroso-glyoxylate reaction is unique to this alpha-oxo acid under physiological pH conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)