N-Acetyl-L-serine or N-Acetylserine, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as N-acyl-alpha amino acids. N-acyl-alpha amino acids are compounds containing an alpha amino acid which bears an acyl group at its terminal nitrogen atom. N-Acetylserine can also be classified as an alpha amino acid or a derivatized alpha amino acid. Technically, N-Acetylserine is a biologically available N-terminal capped form of the proteinogenic alpha amino acid L-serine. N-acetyl amino acids can be produced either via direct synthesis of specific N-acetyltransferases or via the proteolytic degradation of N-acetylated proteins by specific hydrolases. Excessive amounts N-acetyl amino acids including N-acetylserine (as well as N-acetylglycine, N-acetylglutamine, N-acetylmethionine, N-acetylglutamate, N-acetylalanine, N-acetylleucine and smaller amounts of N-acetylthreonine, N-acetylisoleucine, and N-acetylvaline) can be detected in the urine with individuals with acylase I deficiency, a genetic disorder. Many N-acetylamino acids, including N-acetylserine are classified as uremic toxins if present in high abundance in the serum or plasma. Uremic toxins are a diverse group of endogenously produced molecules that, if not properly cleared or eliminated by the kidneys, can cause kidney damage, cardiovascular disease and neurological deficits. Serine can be obtained from the diet from foods high in protein such as soybeans, nuts, eggs, meat, and fish. In the liver, serine is converted to O-acetylserine via serine transacetylase (serine O-acetyltransferase) which then form spontaneously into N-acetylserine.

Metabolism and Physiological Effects of N-Acetylserine References