4-Hydroxyglutamic acid is a non-proteinogenic, hydroxy-substituted dicarboxylic amino acid featuring an amino group and two carboxyl functional groups on a five-carbon chain, with a hydroxyl substituent at the 4-position relative to the amino terminus. The molecule bears a side-chain primary alcohol that can participate in hydrogen bonding and can be used to modulate polarity and coordination behavior compared with unmodified glutamic acid, while its amino and carboxyl groups enable acid-base chemistry and salt formation. In research and synthesis, it is employed as a building block for preparing hydroxy-functionalized amino acid derivatives and as a substrate or reference material in analytical method development, structure-activity studies, and peptide or peptidomimetic assembly where an additional hydroxyl handle is required.
CAT No: CP06901
4-Hydroxyglutamic acid is a hydroxy-functional amino acid featuring a side-chain hydroxyl group that can support hydrogen-bonding interactions and provides a chemically distinctive handle for downstream derivatization. In research workflows, it is used as a defined building block for preparing glutamate-related analogs, as well as a reference material for analytical studies where controlled structure and stereochemical integrity are required. The presence of the additional hydroxyl functionality makes it particularly useful when comparing or calibrating assays and mass spectrometric methods that distinguish closely related glutamate-family species.
1. Peptide And Analog Synthesis
4-Hydroxyglutamic acid is used as a glutamate-family amino acid building block for assembling peptide analogs and constrained side-chain variants in custom peptide synthesis. Researchers in peptide chemistry and medicinal chemistry commonly incorporate this residue into short peptides, peptidomimetics, and structure-activity relationship (SAR) series where the extra hydroxyl group is used to modulate polarity and hydrogen-bonding patterns relative to unmodified glutamic acid. Its defined functional group also supports downstream derivatization strategies when orthogonal protection or side-chain functional tuning is required for segment coupling and final purification workflows.
2. Medicinal Chemistry Building Block
4-Hydroxyglutamic acid serves as a practical intermediate for medicinal chemistry programs that require glutamate-like scaffolds with altered side-chain functionality. Medicinal chemists and process development teams use it to construct analog libraries for receptor-binding studies, transporter substrate profiling, or enzyme-interaction experiments conducted in vitro, where maintaining a controlled amino acid motif is important for interpretable structure-property relationships. The hydroxyl-bearing side chain provides a distinct physicochemical feature that can be carried through to larger fragments, enabling consistent comparison across analog series during lead optimization and analytical method qualification.
3. Analytical Standards And LC-MS Workflows
4-Hydroxyglutamic acid is widely used as a reference compound for analytical method development and quantification workflows that target glutamate-related analytes. Analytical chemists employ it to prepare calibration materials, retention-time references, and mass spectrometric standards for LC-based assays where structural similarity can complicate peak assignment. Its well-defined identity supports method validation efforts such as chromatographic selectivity checks and instrument response evaluation, particularly in studies focused on amino acid profiling, metabolite panel measurements, or targeted quantitation of hydroxy-substituted amino acid species.
4. Biochemical Assay Substrate Studies
4-Hydroxyglutamic acid is used in biochemical research settings where defined amino acid substrates or standards are needed to probe enzyme activity, cofactor dependence, or substrate specificity in vitro. Biochemistry and chemical biology teams rely on this compound to create controlled experimental conditions when comparing glutamate-like substrates that differ by the presence of a side-chain hydroxyl group. In these workflows, the compound's defined structure helps ensure that observed readouts can be attributed to substrate identity and functional-group effects rather than compositional variability, supporting reproducible experiments in enzyme characterization and mechanistic screening assays.
4. SERS spectrum of the peptide thymosin‐β4 obtained with Ag nanorod substrate
5. The spatiotemporal control of signalling and trafficking of the GLP-1R
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