3-Fluoro-DL-tyrosine

3-Fluoro-DL-tyrosine is a model system for the study of tyrosine transfer reactions. It is used to study the reaction mechanism and kinetics of tyrosine transfer from a donor molecule to an acceptor molecule. 3-Fluoro-DL-tyrosine reacts with trifluoroacetic acid to form 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, which is a chemical analog of tyrosine. The hydroxyl group on this molecule can react with the proton on the amino acid side chain, forming a covalent bond that does not break down under normal conditions. This reaction is reversible and has been shown to be catalyzed by polymerase chain reactions (PCR).