The most probable course of the decomposition by which isoamyl alcohol and succinic acid are produced from leucine and glutamic acid respectively is therefore the following:—
(a) Isoamyl Alcohol.
(1)
(CH3)2·CH·CH2·CH(NH2)·COOH
Leucine
(2)
(CH3)2·CH·CH2·CO·COOH
α-Ketoisovalerianic acid
(3)
(CH3)2CHCH2·CHO
Isovaleraldehyde
+ CO2
(4)