Radiation-induced reductive modifications of sulfur-containing amino acids within peptides and proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatgilialoglu, Chryssostomos; Ferreri, Carla; Torreggiani, Armida; Salzano, Anna Maria; Renzone, Giovanni; Scaloni, Andrea

2011-10-19

The complex scenario of radical stress reactions affecting peptides/proteins can be better elucidated through the design of biomimetic studies simulating the consequences of the different free radicals attacking amino acids. In this context, ionizing radiations allowed to examine the specific damages caused by H-atoms and electrons coupled with protons, thus establishing the molecular basis of reductive radical stress. This is an innovative concept that complements the well-known oxidative stress also in view of a complete understanding of the global consequences of radical species reactivities on living systems. This review summarizes the knowledge of the chemical changes present in sulfur-containing amino acids occurring in polypeptides under reductive radical conditions, in particular the transformation of Met and Cys residues into α-amino butyric acid and alanine, respectively. Reductive radical stress causing a desulfurization process, is therefore coupled with the formation of S-centered radicals, which in turn can diffuse apart and become responsible of the damage transfer from proteins to lipids. These reductive modifications assayed in different peptide/protein sequences constitute an integration of the molecular inventories that up to now take into account only oxidative transformations. They can be useful to achieve an integrated vision of the free radical reactivities in a multifunctional system and, overall, for wider applications in the redox proteomics field. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Co-expression of bacterial aspartate kinase and adenylylsulfate reductase genes substantially increases sulfur amino acid levels in transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Zongyong; Xie, Can; Ma, Lei; Liu, Liping; Jin, Yongsheng; Dong, Jiangli; Wang, Tao

2014-01-01

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important forage crops used to feed livestock, such as cattle and sheep, and the sulfur amino acid (SAA) content of alfalfa is used as an index of its nutritional value. Aspartate kinase (AK) catalyzes the phosphorylation of aspartate to Asp-phosphate, the first step in the aspartate family biosynthesis pathway, and adenylylsulfate reductase (APR) catalyzes the conversion of activated sulfate to sulfite, providing reduced sulfur for the synthesis of cysteine, methionine, and other essential metabolites and secondary compounds. To reduce the feedback inhibition of other metabolites, we cloned bacterial AK and APR genes, modified AK, and introduced them into alfalfa. Compared to the wild-type alfalfa, the content of cysteine increased by 30% and that of methionine increased substantially by 60%. In addition, a substantial increase in the abundance of essential amino acids (EAAs), such as aspartate and lysine, was found. The results also indicated a close connection between amino acid metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. The total amino acid content and the forage biomass tested showed no significant changes in the transgenic plants. This approach provides a new method for increasing SAAs and allows for the development of new genetically modified crops with enhanced nutritional value.

Preparation and characterization of silver loaded montmorillonite modified with sulfur amino acid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Tian, E-mail: phdlitian@163.com; Lin, Oulian; Lu, Zhiyuan; He, Liuimei; Wang, Xiaosheng

2014-06-01

The Na{sup +} montmorillonite (MMT) was modified with sulfur containing amino acid (L-cystine, L-cysteine or L-methionine) and characterized by energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR). The results showed the modification was smooth and the surface condition of MMT was changed with sulfur containing groups. Then silver was loaded on the modified MMTs via ion-exchange reaction under microwave irradiation, the spectra of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), EDS and FT-IR confirmed the successful loading of massive silver and the strong interaction between sulfur and silver, the silver loaded L-cystine modified MMT (Ag@AA-MMT-3) with a silver content of 10.93 wt% was the highest of all. Further more, the Ag@AA-MMT-3 was under the irradiation of a UV lamp to turn silver ions to silver nano particles (Ag NPs). The XPS, specific surface area (SSA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), XRD patterns and UV–vis spectra proved the existence of uniform nano scaled metallic Ag NPs. By contrast, the UV irradiated Ag@AA-MMT-3 (Ag@AA-MMT-UV) showed a much better slow release property than Ag@AA-MMT-3 or Ag@MMT. The Ag@AA-MMT-UV showing a large inhibition zone and high inhibition ratio presented very good antibacterial property.

[Amino acid level in pastry with low caloric value].

Science.gov (United States)

Barkhatov, V Iu; Vyskubova, N K; Felipas, T B; Pshemurzova, R M; Kamenetskaia, E V

1988-01-01

The effect of fruit paste additives on amino acid composition of farinaceous and decorative confectionery semifinished products was studied to decrease their fuel value. It was found that a partial replacement of sugar and fat for apple and quince pastes in apple biscuit and apple shortbread semiproducts led to an increase in the content of essential and sulfur-containing amino acids. Cream prepared from egg albumin and quince paste had reduced content of amino acids (except for glutamic acid) due to the diminished content of egg albumin, however, the balance of amino acid composition was improved.

Sulfur amino acid metabolism in the whole body and mammary gland of the lactating Saanen goat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, A.J.; Knutson, R.J.; Louie, K.; Harris, P.M.; Davis, S.R.; Mackenzie, D.D.S.

1999-01-01

Five multiparous Saanen goats in late lactation were infused with 35 S-cysteine into the mammary gland via the external pudic artery. A further 2 goats were infused with 35 S-methionine via the same artery and later with 35 S-methionine into the jugular vein. Total uptake of cysteine from the arterial blood supply by the mammary gland was approximately 6% of the 35 S-cysteine flux past the gland, whereas uptake of methionine was 30-40%. Total mammary uptake of cysteine was also lower than that of methionine when expressed as a percentage of whole body utilisation (6.5 and 14%, respectively). The uptake from the blood did not account for output in the milk for either cysteine or methionine. Both amino acids were highly conserved by the gland as shown by little release of any degraded constitutive protein amino acids and no evidence of oxidation products of either cysteine or methionine being released into the blood. Comparison of 35 S activity in the milk from the infused and non-infused sides of the gland showed up to 10% trans-sulfuration of methionine to cysteine within the gland, none of which was exported in the venous drainage. Total ATP production by one side of the gland was 12.1 mol/day or 13 mmol/min.kg mammary tissue, of which 15% was required for gland protein synthesis. The experimental measurements from both the cysteine and methionine infusions were used to solve a model of gland amino acid uptake and partitioning. Modelling radioactivity of both amino acids in the blood, intracellular free pool, and milk protein suggested that a single intracellular pool cannot be the only source of amino acid for protein synthesis. The model also provides support for the hypothesis that a significant proportion of the uptake of at least some amino acids by the mammary gland is from intracellular hydrolysis of extracellularly derived peptides. Copyright (2001) CSIRO Australia

Renal cortex taurine content regulates renal adaptive response to altered dietary intake of sulfur amino acids.

OpenAIRE

Chesney, R W; Gusowski, N; Dabbagh, S

1985-01-01

Rats fed a reduced sulfur amino acid diet (LTD) or a high-taurine diet (HTD) demonstrate a renal adaptive response. The LTD results in hypotaurinuria and enhanced brush border membrane vesicle (BBMV) accumulation of taurine. The HTD causes hypertaurinuria and reduced BBMV uptake. This adaptation may relate to changes in plasma or renal cortex taurine concentration. Rats were fed a normal-taurine diet (NTD), LTD, or HTD for 14 d or they underwent: (a) 3% beta-alanine for the last 8 d of each d...

The intercorrelation of the amino acid quality between raw, steeped ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The total amino acid contents were: steeped [57.71 g/100 g crude protein (c.p.)], germinated (53.37 g/100 g c.p.) and raw (37.91 g/100 g c.p.) with respective essential amino acids of 30.70 g/100 g c.p., 28.33 g/100 g c.p. and 21.48 g/100 g c.p. Percentage cystine/total sulfur amino acid (% Cys/TSAA) trend was 72.0 ...

A sulfur amino acid-free meal increases plasma lipids in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Youngja; Le, Ngoc-Anh; Yu, Tianwei; Strobel, Fred; Gletsu-Miller, Nana; Accardi, Carolyn J; Lee, Kichun S; Wu, Shaoxiong; Ziegler, Thomas R; Jones, Dean P

2011-08-01

The content of sulfur amino acid (SAA) in a meal affects postprandial plasma cysteine concentrations and the redox potential of cysteine/cystine. Because such changes can affect enzyme, transporter, and receptor activities, meal content of SAA could have unrecognized effects on metabolism during the postprandial period. This pilot study used proton NMR ((1)H-NMR) spectroscopy of human plasma to test the hypothesis that dietary SAA content changes macronutrient metabolism. Healthy participants (18-36 y, 5 males and 3 females) were equilibrated for 3 d to adequate SAA, fed chemically defined meals without SAA for 5 d (depletion), and then fed isoenergetic, isonitrogenous meals containing 56 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) SAA for 4.5 d (repletion). On the first and last day of consuming the chemically defined meals, a morning meal containing 60% of the daily food intake was given and plasma samples were collected over an 8-h postprandial time course for characterization of metabolic changes by (1)H-NMR spectroscopy. SAA-free food increased peak intensity in the plasma (1)H-NMR spectra in the postprandial period. Orthogonal signal correction/partial least squares-discriminant analysis showed changes in signals associated with lipids, some amino acids, and lactate, with notable increases in plasma lipid signals (TG, unsaturated lipid, cholesterol). Conventional lipid analyses confirmed higher plasma TG and showed an increase in plasma concentration of the lipoprotein lipase inhibitor, apoC-III. The results show that plasma (1)H-NMR spectra can provide useful macronutrient profiling following a meal challenge protocol and that a single meal with imbalanced SAA content alters postprandial lipid metabolism.

Silica sulfuric acid and as an efficient catalyst for the Friedlander quinoline synthesis from simple ketones and ortho - amino aryl ketones under microwave irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zolfigol, M. A.; Salehi, P.; Shiri, M.; Faal Rastegar, T.; Ghaderi, A.

2008-01-01

The synthesis of quinoline derivatives via Friedlander method from ortho-amino aryl ketones in the presence of a catalytic amount of silica sulfuric acid under solvent-free condition and microwave irradiation was described. A good range of simple ketones such as cyclohexanone and deoxybenzoin were used

In vivo synthesized 34S enriched amino acid standards for species specific isotope dilution of proteins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hermann, Gerrit; Moller, Laura Hyrup; Gammelgaard, Bente

2016-01-01

(ICP-MS) combined to anion exchange showed that very high concentrated spike material could be produced with [small mu ]mol amounts of proteinogenic sulfur containing amino acids per g cell dry weight. An enrichment of 34S to 96.3 +/- 0.4% (n = 3) and 98.5 +/- 0.4% (n = 3) for cysteic acid...... with the concept of species specific isotope dilution analysis (IDA). The method relies on the determination of the two sulfur containing amino acids, cysteine and methionine by sulfur speciation analysis and is hence applicable to any protein containing sulfur. In vivo synthesis using 34S as sulfur source...... and methionine sulfone, respectively, was assessed. The established IDA method was validated for the absolute quantification of commercially available lysozyme and ceruloplasmin standards including the calculation of a total combined uncertainty budget....

Branched-chain amino acid supplementation promotes aerobic growth of Salmonella Typhimurium under nitrosative stress conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Yoon Mee; Lee, Hwa Jeong; Jeong, Jae-Ho; Kook, Joong-Ki; Choy, Hyon E; Hahn, Tae-Wook; Bang, Iel Soo

2015-12-01

Nitric oxide (NO) inactivates iron-sulfur enzymes in bacterial amino acid biosynthetic pathways, causing amino acid auxotrophy. We demonstrate that exogenous supplementation with branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) can restore the NO resistance of hmp mutant Salmonella Typhimurium lacking principal NO-metabolizing enzyme flavohemoglobin, and of mutants further lacking iron-sulfur enzymes dihydroxy-acid dehydratase (IlvD) and isopropylmalate isomerase (LeuCD) that are essential for BCAA biosynthesis, in an oxygen-dependent manner. BCAA supplementation did not affect the NO consumption rate of S. Typhimurium, suggesting the BCAA-promoted NO resistance independent of NO metabolism. BCAA supplementation also induced intracellular survival of ilvD and leuCD mutants at wild-type levels inside RAW 264.7 macrophages that produce constant amounts of NO regardless of varied supplemental BCAA concentrations. Our results suggest that the NO-induced BCAA auxotrophy of Salmonella, due to inactivation of iron-sulfur enzymes for BCAA biosynthesis, could be rescued by bacterial taking up exogenous BCAA available in oxic environments.

Effect of gamma irradiation on the amino acid contents of seafood cooking drips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ju Woon; Kim, Yeon Joo; Choi, Jong Il; Kim, Yun Joo; Kim, Jae Hun; Kim, Jin Kyu; Byun, Myung Woo; Kwon, Joong Ho; Ahn, Dong Hyun; Chun, Byung Soo

2008-01-01

In this study, the effects of gamma irradiation on the change of structural and free amino acids contents of cooking drips from Hizikia fusiformis (HF) and Enteroctopus dofleini (ED) were investigated. The main structural amino acids were glutamic acid in HF cooking drip, and glutamic acid, glycine, arginine and aspartic acid in ED cooking drip, respectively. The concentrations of structural amino acids in both cooking drip extracts were decreased by the gamma irradiation at the dose of 10 kGy. Especially, the sulfur-containing amino acids were severely degraded by the irradiation. In free amino acid, ED cooking drip extract was contained the larger amount of free amino acid than that of HF cooking drip affecting its rich flavor. The free amino acid concentrations of cooking drips extracts from HF and ED were both increased by irradiation, and it explained the higher protein content by the irradiation

Adsorption behavior of sulfur-containing amino acid molecule on transition metal surface studied by S K-edge NEXAFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagi, S.; Matsumura, K.; Nakano, Y.; Ikenaga, E.; Sardar, S.A.; Syed, J.A.; Soda, K.; Hashimoto, E.; Tanaka, K.; Taniguchi, M.

2003-01-01

Adsorption behavior of a sulfur-containing amino acid L-cysteine molecule on transition metal surface have been investigated by S K-edge near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure. The L-cysteine molecule for first adsorption layer was found to dissociate on polycrystalline nickel surface, whereas molecularly adsorbed on copper surface at room temperature. Most of the L-cysteine molecules have been dissociated on nickel surface in annealing condition up to 353 K. On the other hand, the L-cysteine molecule did not dissociate on copper surface and the elongation of the S-C bonding occurred at 353 K

Oxidative kinetics of amino acids by peroxydisulfate: Effect of dielectric constant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalid, Mohammad A. A.

2008-01-01

The kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of alanine, asparagines, cysteine, glutamic acid, lysine, phenylalanine and serine by peroxydisulfate ion have been studied in aqueous acidic (sulfuric acid) medium at the temperature range 60-80C. The rate shows first order dependence on peroxydisulfate concentration and zero order dependence on amino acid concentration. The rate law observed is: -d [S2O82-] /dt = Kobs [S2O82-] [amino acid]0. An autocatalytic effect has been observed in amino acids oxidation due to formation of Schiff's base between the formed aldehyde and parent amino acid. A decrease in the dielectric constant of the medium-adding acetic acid (5-15% v/v) results in a decrease in the rate in all cases studied. Reactions were carried out at different temperature (60-80C) and the thermodynamics parameters have been calculated. The logarithm of the rate constant is linearly interrelated to the square root of the ionic strength. (author)

Protein and Essential Amino Acids to Protect Musculoskeletal Health during Spaceflight: Evidence of a Paradox?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyle J. Hackney

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Long-duration spaceflight results in muscle atrophy and a loss of bone mineral density. In skeletal muscle tissue, acute exercise and protein (e.g., essential amino acids stimulate anabolic pathways (e.g., muscle protein synthesis both independently and synergistically to maintain neutral or positive net muscle protein balance. Protein intake in space is recommended to be 12%–15% of total energy intake (≤1.4 g∙kg−1∙day−1 and spaceflight is associated with reduced energy intake (~20%, which enhances muscle catabolism. Increasing protein intake to 1.5–2.0 g∙kg−1∙day−1 may be beneficial for skeletal muscle tissue and could be accomplished with essential amino acid supplementation. However, increased consumption of sulfur-containing amino acids is associated with increased bone resorption, which creates a dilemma for musculoskeletal countermeasures, whereby optimizing skeletal muscle parameters via essential amino acid supplementation may worsen bone outcomes. To protect both muscle and bone health, future unloading studies should evaluate increased protein intake via non-sulfur containing essential amino acids or leucine in combination with exercise countermeasures and the concomitant influence of reduced energy intake.

A Sulfur Amino Acid–Free Meal Increases Plasma Lipids in Humans123

OpenAIRE

Park, Youngja; Le, Ngoc-Anh; Yu, Tianwei; Strobel, Fred; Gletsu-Miller, Nana; Accardi, Carolyn J.; Lee, Kichun S.; Wu, Shaoxiong; Ziegler, Thomas R.; Jones, Dean P.

2011-01-01

The content of sulfur amino acid (SAA) in a meal affects postprandial plasma cysteine concentrations and the redox potential of cysteine/cystine. Because such changes can affect enzyme, transporter, and receptor activities, meal content of SAA could have unrecognized effects on metabolism during the postprandial period. This pilot study used proton NMR (1H-NMR) spectroscopy of human plasma to test the hypothesis that dietary SAA content changes macronutrient metabolism. Healthy participants (...

Interaction of Atmospheric-Pressure Air Microplasmas with Amino Acids as Fundamental Processes in Aqueous Solution.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renwu Zhou

Full Text Available Plasma medicine is a relatively new field that investigates potential applications of cold atmospheric-pressure plasmas in bioengineering, such as for bacterial inactivation and degradation of organic molecules in water. In order to enunciate mechanisms of bacterial inactivation at molecular or atomic levels, we investigated the interaction of atmospheric-pressure air microplasmas with amino acids in aqueous solution by using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS. Results show that the oxidation effect of plasma-induced species on the side chains of the amino acids can be categorized into four types, namely hydroxylation, nitration, dehydrogenation and dimerization. In addition, relative activities of amino acids resulting from plasma treatment come in descending order as follows: sulfur-containing carbon-chain amino acids > aromatic amino acids > five-membered ring amino acids > basic carbon-chain amino acids. Since amino acids are building blocks of proteins vital to the growth and reproduction of bacteria, these results provide an insight into the mechanism of bacterial inactivation by plasma.

Danburite decomposition by sulfuric acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirsaidov, U.; Mamatov, E.D.; Ashurov, N.A.

2011-01-01

Present article is devoted to decomposition of danburite of Ak-Arkhar Deposit of Tajikistan by sulfuric acid. The process of decomposition of danburite concentrate by sulfuric acid was studied. The chemical nature of decomposition process of boron containing ore was determined. The influence of temperature on the rate of extraction of boron and iron oxides was defined. The dependence of decomposition of boron and iron oxides on process duration, dosage of H 2 SO 4 , acid concentration and size of danburite particles was determined. The kinetics of danburite decomposition by sulfuric acid was studied as well. The apparent activation energy of the process of danburite decomposition by sulfuric acid was calculated. The flowsheet of danburite processing by sulfuric acid was elaborated.

Synthesis and conformational analysis of hybrid α/β-dipeptides incorporating S-glycosyl-β(2,2)-amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

García-González, Iván; Mata, Lara; Corzana, Francisco; Jiménez-Osés, Gonzalo; Avenoza, Alberto; Busto, Jesús H; Peregrina, Jesús M

2015-01-12

We synthesized and carried out the conformational analysis of several hybrid dipeptides consisting of an α-amino acid attached to a quaternary glyco-β-amino acid. In particular, we combined a S-glycosylated β(2,2)-amino acid and two different types of α-amino acid, namely, aliphatic (alanine) and aromatic (phenylalanine and tryptophan) in the sequence of hybrid α/β-dipeptides. The key step in the synthesis involved the ring-opening reaction of a chiral cyclic sulfamidate, inserted in the peptidic sequence, with a sulfur-containing nucleophile by using 1-thio-β-D-glucopyranose derivatives. This reaction of glycosylation occurred with inversion of configuration at the quaternary center. The conformational behavior in aqueous solution of the peptide backbone and the glycosidic linkage for all synthesized hybrid glycopeptides was analyzed by using a protocol that combined NMR experiments and molecular dynamics with time-averaged restraints (MD-tar). Interestingly, the presence of the sulfur heteroatom at the quaternary center of the β-amino acid induced θ torsional angles close to 180° (anti). Notably, this value changed to 60° (gauche) when the peptidic sequence displayed aromatic α-amino acids due to the presence of CH-π interactions between the phenyl or indole ring and the methyl groups of the β-amino acid unit. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A GC-ECD method for estimation of free and bound amino acids, gamma-aminobutyric acid, salicylic acid, and acetyl salicylic acid from Solanum lycopersicum (L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Meher, Hari Charan; Gajbhiye, Vijay T; Singh, Ghanendra

2011-01-01

A gas chromatograph with electron capture detection method for estimation of selected metabolites--amino acids (free and bound), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), salicylic acid (SA), and acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) from tomato--is reported. The method is based on nitrophenylation of the metabolites by 1-fluoro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene under aqueous alkaline conditions to form dinitophenyl derivatives. The derivatives were stable under the operating conditions of GC. Analysis of bound amino acids comprised perchloric acid precipitation of protein, alkylation (carboxymethylation) with iodoacetic acid, vapor-phase hydrolysis, and derivatization with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene in that order. The metabolites were resolved in 35 min, using a temperature-programmed run. The method is rapid, sensitive, and precise. It easily measured the typical amino acids (aspartate, asparagine, glutamate, glutamine, alanine, leucine, lysine, and phenylalanine) used for identification and quantification of a protein, resolved amino acids of the same mass (leucine and isoleucine), satisfactorily measured sulfur amino acid (methionine, cystine, and cysteine), and quantified GABA, SA, and ASA, as well. The developed method was validated for specificity, linearity, and precision. It has been applied and recommended for estimation of 25 metabolites from Solanum lycopersicum (L.).

Enzymatic Synthesis of Amino Acids Endcapped Polycaprolactone: A Green Route Towards Functional Polyesters.

Science.gov (United States)

Duchiron, Stéphane W; Pollet, Eric; Givry, Sébastien; Avérous, Luc

2018-01-30

ε-caprolactone (CL) has been enzymatically polymerized using α-amino acids based on sulfur (methionine and cysteine) as (co-)initiators and immobilized lipase B of Candida antarctica (CALB) as biocatalyst. In-depth characterizations allowed determining the corresponding involved mechanisms and the polymers thermal properties. Two synthetic strategies were tested, a first one with direct polymerization of CL with the native amino acids and a second one involving the use of an amino acid with protected functional groups. The first route showed that mainly polycaprolactone (PCL) homopolymer could be obtained and highlighted the lack of reactivity of the unmodified amino acids due to poor solubility and affinity with the lipase active site. The second strategy based on protected cysteine showed higher monomer conversion, with the amino acids acting as (co-)initiators, but their insertion along the PCL chains remained limited to chain endcapping. These results thus showed the possibility to synthesize enzymatically polycaprolactone-based chains bearing amino acids units. Such cysteine endcapped PCL materials could then find application in the biomedical field. Indeed, subsequent functionalization of these polyesters with drugs or bioactive molecules can be obtained, by derivatization of the amino acids, after removal of the protecting group.

Plant amino acid-derived vitamins: biosynthesis and function.

Science.gov (United States)

Miret, Javier A; Munné-Bosch, Sergi

2014-04-01

Vitamins are essential organic compounds for humans, having lost the ability to de novo synthesize them. Hence, they represent dietary requirements, which are covered by plants as the main dietary source of most vitamins (through food or livestock's feed). Most vitamins synthesized by plants present amino acids as precursors (B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B9 and E) and are therefore linked to plant nitrogen metabolism. Amino acids play different roles in their biosynthesis and metabolism, either incorporated into the backbone of the vitamin or as amino, sulfur or one-carbon group donors. There is a high natural variation in vitamin contents in crops and its exploitation through breeding, metabolic engineering and agronomic practices can enhance their nutritional quality. While the underlying biochemical roles of vitamins as cosubstrates or cofactors are usually common for most eukaryotes, the impact of vitamins B and E in metabolism and physiology can be quite different on plants and animals. Here, we first aim at giving an overview of the biosynthesis of amino acid-derived vitamins in plants, with a particular focus on how this knowledge can be exploited to increase vitamin contents in crops. Second, we will focus on the functions of these vitamins in both plants and animals (and humans in particular), to unravel common and specific roles for vitamins in evolutionary distant organisms, in which these amino acid-derived vitamins play, however, an essential role.

Phospholyl(borane) Amino Acids and Peptides: Stereoselective Synthesis and Fluorescent Properties with Large Stokes Shift.

Science.gov (United States)

Arribat, Mathieu; Rémond, Emmanuelle; Clément, Sébastien; Lee, Arie Van Der; Cavelier, Florine

2018-01-24

The synthesis of phospholyl(borane) amino acids was stereoselectively achieved by reaction of phospholide anion with iodo α-amino ester derived from l-aspartic acid or l-serine, followed by in situ complexation with borane. Phospholyl(borane) amino acids are easy to store and can be subjected to direct transformation into the corresponding free phospholyl, gold complex, oxide or sulfur derivatives as well as phospholinium salts, thus offering a variety of side chains. After selective deprotection of carboxylic function or amine, C- or N- peptide coupling with an alanine moiety proved the possible incorporation into peptides. Such phospholyl amino acid and peptide derivatives exhibit fluorescent properties with a large Stokes shift (160 nm) and fluorescence up to 535 nm, depending on the phosphole aromaticity and the chemical environment. These phospholyl(borane) amino acids constitute a new class of unnatural amino acids useful for structure-activities relationship studies and appear to be promising fluorophores for the development of labeled peptides.

Enzymatic Synthesis of Amino Acids Endcapped Polycaprolactone: A Green Route Towards Functional Polyesters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stéphane W. Duchiron

2018-01-01

Full Text Available ε-caprolactone (CL has been enzymatically polymerized using α-amino acids based on sulfur (methionine and cysteine as (co-initiators and immobilized lipase B of Candida antarctica (CALB as biocatalyst. In-depth characterizations allowed determining the corresponding involved mechanisms and the polymers thermal properties. Two synthetic strategies were tested, a first one with direct polymerization of CL with the native amino acids and a second one involving the use of an amino acid with protected functional groups. The first route showed that mainly polycaprolactone (PCL homopolymer could be obtained and highlighted the lack of reactivity of the unmodified amino acids due to poor solubility and affinity with the lipase active site. The second strategy based on protected cysteine showed higher monomer conversion, with the amino acids acting as (co-initiators, but their insertion along the PCL chains remained limited to chain endcapping. These results thus showed the possibility to synthesize enzymatically polycaprolactone-based chains bearing amino acids units. Such cysteine endcapped PCL materials could then find application in the biomedical field. Indeed, subsequent functionalization of these polyesters with drugs or bioactive molecules can be obtained, by derivatization of the amino acids, after removal of the protecting group.

Plasma amino acids

Science.gov (United States)

Amino acids blood test ... types of methods used to determine the individual amino acid levels in the blood. ... test is done to measure the level of amino acids in the blood. An increased level of a ...

46 CFR 153.1046 - Sulfuric acid.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Sulfuric acid. 153.1046 Section 153.1046 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CERTAIN BULK DANGEROUS CARGOES SHIPS CARRYING BULK....1046 Sulfuric acid. No person may liquefy frozen or congealed sulfuric acid other than by external tank...

46 CFR 151.50-21 - Sulfuric acid.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Sulfuric acid. 151.50-21 Section 151.50-21 Shipping... BULK LIQUID HAZARDOUS MATERIAL CARGOES Special Requirements § 151.50-21 Sulfuric acid. (a) How sulfuric acid may be carried. (1) Sulfuric acid of concentration of 77.5 percent (1.7019 specific gravity) (59.8...

Amino acids

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002222.htm Amino acids To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins . ...

21 CFR 582.1095 - Sulfuric acid.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Sulfuric acid. 582.1095 Section 582.1095 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS....1095 Sulfuric acid. (a) Product. Sulfuric acid. (b) Conditions of use. This substance is generally...

Synthesis of α,ω-polyfluorinated α-amino acid derivatives and δ,δ-difluoronorvaline.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulbrich, Dirk; Daniliuc, Constantin G; Haufe, Günter

2016-03-07

Intending to synthesize ω,ω-difluoroalkyl amino acid derivatives by oxidative desulfurization-fluorination reactions of suitable arylthio-2-phthalimido butanoates and pentanoates, in addition to small amounts of the target products, mainly α,ω-polyfluorinated amino acid derivatives were formed by additional sulfur-assisted α-fluorination. This novel structural motif was verified spectroscopically as well as by X-ray analysis. A plausible mechanism of formation is suggested. Using a different approach, δ,δ-difluoronorvaline hydrochloride was synthesized with at least 36% enantiomeric excess via deoxofluorination of the corresponding aldehyde.

21 CFR 184.1095 - Sulfuric acid.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Sulfuric acid. 184.1095 Section 184.1095 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1095 Sulfuric acid. (a) Sulfuric acid (H2SO4, CAS Reg. No. 7664-93-9), also...

Reactions of tritium atoms with amino acids, deuterated amino acids and mixtures of amino acids. Additivity property and isotope effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badun, G.A.; Filatov, Eh.S.

1988-01-01

Interaction of tritium atoms with glycine (1) and leucine (2) amino acids, deuterated amino acids, their mixtures and glycylleucine (3) peptide in the 77-300 K temperature range is studied in isothermal and gradient regimes. Tagged amino acids were separated from targets after conducting the reaction. At T 150 K are associated with intermolecular transmission of free valence in the mixture of amino acids. Regularities of the reaction found for the mixture of amino acids are conserved for (3) as well, i.e. the peptide bond does not essentially affect the reaction of isotopic exchange conditioned by atomic tritium

Comparative analysis of amino acids and amino-acid derivatives in protein crystallization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Len; Shiraki, Kentaro; Yamaguchi, Hiroshi

2010-01-01

New types of aggregation suppressors, such as amino acids and their derivatives, were focused on as fourth-component additives. Data were obtained that indicated that the additives promote protein crystallization. Optimal conditions for protein crystallization are difficult to determine because proteins tend to aggregate in saturated solutions. This study comprehensively evaluates amino acids and amino-acid derivatives as additives for crystallization. This fourth component of the solution increases the probability of crystallization of hen egg-white lysozyme in various precipitants owing to a decrease in aggregation. These results suggest that the addition of certain types of amino acids and amino-acid derivatives, such as Arg, Lys and esterified and amidated amino acids, is a simple method of improving the success rate of protein crystallization

NblA1/A2-Dependent Homeostasis of Amino Acid Pools during Nitrogen Starvation in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiyota, Hiroshi; Hirai, Masami Yokota; Ikeuchi, Masahiko

2014-06-30

Nutrient balance is important for photosynthetic growth and biomass production in microalgae. Here, we investigated and compared metabolic responses of amino acid pools to nitrogen and sulfur starvation in a unicellular model cyanobacterium, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and its mutant nblA1/A2. It is known that NblA1/A2-dependent and -independent breakdown of abundant photosynthetic phycobiliproteins and other cellular proteins supply nutrients to the organism. However, the contribution of the NblA1/A2-dependent nutrient supply to amino acid pool homeostasis has not been studied. Our study demonstrates that changes in the pool size of many amino acids during nitrogen starvation can be categorized as NblA1/A2-dependent (Gln, Glu, glutathione, Gly, Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Pro, Ser, Thr, Tyr and Val) and NblA1/A2-independent (Ala, Asn, Lys, and Trp). We also report unique changes in amino acid pool sizes during sulfur starvation in wild type and the mutant and found a generally marked increase in the Lys pool in cyanobacteria during nutrient starvation. In conclusion, the NblA1/A2-dependent protein turnover contributes to the maintenance of many amino acid pools during nitrogen starvation.

NblA1/A2-Dependent Homeostasis of Amino Acid Pools during Nitrogen Starvation in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

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Hiroshi Kiyota

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Nutrient balance is important for photosynthetic growth and biomass production in microalgae. Here, we investigated and compared metabolic responses of amino acid pools to nitrogen and sulfur starvation in a unicellular model cyanobacterium, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and its mutant nblA1/A2. It is known that NblA1/A2-dependent and -independent breakdown of abundant photosynthetic phycobiliproteins and other cellular proteins supply nutrients to the organism. However, the contribution of the NblA1/A2-dependent nutrient supply to amino acid pool homeostasis has not been studied. Our study demonstrates that changes in the pool size of many amino acids during nitrogen starvation can be categorized as NblA1/A2-dependent (Gln, Glu, glutathione, Gly, Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Pro, Ser, Thr, Tyr and Val and NblA1/A2-independent (Ala, Asn, Lys, and Trp. We also report unique changes in amino acid pool sizes during sulfur starvation in wild type and the mutant and found a generally marked increase in the Lys pool in cyanobacteria during nutrient starvation. In conclusion, the NblA1/A2-dependent protein turnover contributes to the maintenance of many amino acid pools during nitrogen starvation.

Sulfur availability regulates plant growth via glucose-TOR signaling.

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Dong, Yihan; Silbermann, Marleen; Speiser, Anna; Forieri, Ilaria; Linster, Eric; Poschet, Gernot; Allboje Samami, Arman; Wanatabe, Mutsumi; Sticht, Carsten; Teleman, Aurelio A; Deragon, Jean-Marc; Saito, Kazuki; Hell, Rüdiger; Wirtz, Markus

2017-10-27

Growth of eukaryotic cells is regulated by the target of rapamycin (TOR). The strongest activator of TOR in metazoa is amino acid availability. The established transducers of amino acid sensing to TOR in metazoa are absent in plants. Hence, a fundamental question is how amino acid sensing is achieved in photo-autotrophic organisms. Here we demonstrate that the plant Arabidopsis does not sense the sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine itself, but its biosynthetic precursors. We identify the kinase GCN2 as a sensor of the carbon/nitrogen precursor availability, whereas limitation of the sulfur precursor is transduced to TOR by downregulation of glucose metabolism. The downregulated TOR activity caused decreased translation, lowered meristematic activity, and elevated autophagy. Our results uncover a plant-specific adaptation of TOR function. In concert with GCN2, TOR allows photo-autotrophic eukaryotes to coordinate the fluxes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur for efficient cysteine biosynthesis under varying external nutrient supply.

Electrolytic nature of aqueous sulfuric acid. 2. Acidity.

Science.gov (United States)

Fraenkel, Dan

2012-09-27

In part 1 of this study, I reported that the Debye-Hückel limiting law and the smaller-ion shell (SiS) model of strong electrolyte solutions fit nicely with the experimental mean ionic activity coefficient (γ(±)) of aqueous sulfuric acid as a function of concentration and of temperature when the acid is assumed to be a strong 1-3 electrolyte. Here, I report that the SiS-derived activity coefficient of H(+), γ(H(+)), of the 1-3 acid is comparable to that of aqueous HCl. This agrees with titration curves showing, as well-known, that sulfuric acid in water is parallel in strength to aqueous HCl. The calculated pH is in good accord with the Hammett acidity function, H(0), of aqueous sulfuric acid at low concentration, and differences between the two functions at high concentration are discussed and explained. This pH-H(0) relation is consistent with the literature showing that the H(0) of sulfuric acid (in the 1-9 M range) is similar to those of HCl and the other strong mineral monoprotic acids. The titration of aqueous sulfuric acid with NaOH does not agree with the known second dissociation constant of 0.010 23; rather, the constant is found to be ~0.32 and the acid behaves upon neutralization as a strong diprotic acid practically dissociating in one step. A plausible reaction pathway is offered to explain how the acid may transform, upon base neutralization, from a dissociated H(4)SO(5) (as 3H(+) and HSO(5)(3-)) to a dissociated H(2)SO(4) even though the equilibrium constant of the reaction H(+) + HSO(5)(3-) ↔ SO(4)(2-) + H(2)O, at 25 °C, is 10(-37) (part 1).

Dew point of gases with low sulfuric acid content

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fieg, J.

1981-07-01

Discusses control of air pollution caused by sulfur compounds in solid fuels during combustion. Excessive amount of oxygen during combustion leads to formation of sulfur trioxide. Sulfur trioxide reacts with water vapor and forms sulfuric acid. Chemical reactions which lead to formation of sulfuric acid are described. Conditions for sulfuric acid condensation are analyzed. Several methods for determining dew point of flue gases with low sulfuric acid content are reviewed: methods based on determination of electric conductivity of condensed sulfuric acid (Francis, Cheney, Kiyoure), method based on determination of sulfuric acid concentration in the gaseous phase and in the liquid phase after cooling (Lee, Lisle and Sensenbaugh, Ross and Goksoyr). (26 refs.) (In Polish)

Regional amino acid transport into brain during diabetes: Effect of plasma amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mans, A.M.; DeJoseph, M.R.; Davis, D.W.; Hawkins, R.A.

1987-01-01

Transport of phenylalanine and lysine into the brain was measured in 4-wk streptozotocin-diabetic rats to assess the effect on the neutral and basic amino acid transport systems at the blood-brain barrier. Amino acid concentrations in plasma and brain were also measured. Regional permeability-times-surface area (PS) products and influx were determined using a continuous infusion method and quantitative autoradiography. The PS of phenylalanine was decreased by an average of 40% throughout the entire brain. Influx was depressed by 35%. The PS of lysine was increased by an average of 44%, but the influx was decreased by 27%. Several plasma neutral amino acids (branched chain) were increased, whereas all basic amino acids were decreased. Brain tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine, methionine, and lysine contents were markedly decreased. The transport changes were almost entirely accounted for by the alterations in the concentrations of the plasma amino acids that compete for the neutral and basic amino acid carriers. The reduced influx could be responsible for the low brain content of some essential amino acids, with possibly deleterious consequences for brain functions

Dynamic changes in amino acid concentration profiles in patients with sepsis.

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Longxiang Su

Full Text Available The goal of this work was to explore the dynamic concentration profiles of 42 amino acids and the significance of these profiles in relation to sepsis, with the aim of providing guidance for clinical therapies.Thirty-five critically ill patients with sepsis were included. These patients were further divided into sepsis (12 cases and severe sepsis (23 cases groups or survivor (20 cases and non-survivor (15 cases groups. Serum samples from the patients were collected on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 following intensive care unit (ICU admission, and the serum concentrations of 42 amino acids were measured.The metabolic spectrum of the amino acids changed dramatically in patients with sepsis. As the disease progressed further or with poor prognosis, the levels of the different amino acids gradually increased, decreased, or fluctuated over time. The concentrations of sulfur-containing amino acids (SAAs, especially taurine, decreased significantly as the severity of sepsis worsened or with poor prognosis of the patient. The serum concentrations of SAAs, especially taurine, exhibited weak negative correlations with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA (r=-0.319 and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II (r=-0.325 scores. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of cystine, taurine, and SAA levels and the SOFA and APACHE II scores, which denoted disease prognosis, were 0.623, 0.674, 0.678, 0.86, and 0.857, respectively.Critically ill patients with disorders of amino acid metabolism, especially of SAAs such as cystine and taurine, may provide an indicator of the need for the nutritional support of sepsis in the clinic.ClinicalTrial.gov identifier NCT01818830.

Effect of amino acids and amino acid derivatives on crystallization of hemoglobin and ribonuclease A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Len; Kobayashi, Toyoaki; Shiraki, Kentaro; Yamaguchi, Hiroshi

2008-01-01

The effect of the addition of amino acids and amino acid derivatives on the crystallization of hemoglobin and ribonuclease A has been evaluated. The results showed that certain types of additives expand the concentration conditions in which crystals are formed. Determination of the appropriate conditions for protein crystallization remains a highly empirical process. Preventing protein aggregation is necessary for the formation of single crystals under aggregation-prone solution conditions. Because many amino acids and amino acid derivatives offer a unique combination of solubility and stabilizing properties, they open new avenues into the field of protein aggregation research. The use of amino acids and amino acid derivatives can potentially influence processes such as heat treatment and refolding reactions. The effect of the addition of several amino acids, such as lysine, and several amino acid derivatives, such as glycine ethyl ester and glycine amide, on the crystallization of equine hemoglobin and bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A has been examined. The addition of these amino acids and amino acid derivatives expanded the range of precipitant concentration in which crystals formed without aggregation. The addition of such additives appears to promote the crystallization of proteins

Effect of amino acids and amino acid derivatives on crystallization of hemoglobin and ribonuclease A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ito, Len, E-mail: len@ksc.kwansei.ac.jp; Kobayashi, Toyoaki [School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337 (Japan); Shiraki, Kentaro [Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Yamaguchi, Hiroshi [School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337 (Japan)

2008-05-01

The effect of the addition of amino acids and amino acid derivatives on the crystallization of hemoglobin and ribonuclease A has been evaluated. The results showed that certain types of additives expand the concentration conditions in which crystals are formed. Determination of the appropriate conditions for protein crystallization remains a highly empirical process. Preventing protein aggregation is necessary for the formation of single crystals under aggregation-prone solution conditions. Because many amino acids and amino acid derivatives offer a unique combination of solubility and stabilizing properties, they open new avenues into the field of protein aggregation research. The use of amino acids and amino acid derivatives can potentially influence processes such as heat treatment and refolding reactions. The effect of the addition of several amino acids, such as lysine, and several amino acid derivatives, such as glycine ethyl ester and glycine amide, on the crystallization of equine hemoglobin and bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A has been examined. The addition of these amino acids and amino acid derivatives expanded the range of precipitant concentration in which crystals formed without aggregation. The addition of such additives appears to promote the crystallization of proteins.

Influence of sulfur and nitrogen supply on the susceptibility of Pisum sativum to SO/sub 2/

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klein, H; Jaeger, H J; Steubing, L

1974-01-01

The susceptibility of Pisum to SO/sub 2/ injury was examined in relation to the sulfur and nitrogen nutrition. The injury was measured by comparing the dry matter yield to control and treated plants. SO/sub 2/ effects on metabolism were established by determining the content of organic and inorganic sulfur and, indirectly, by measuring total nitrogen, amino acid nitrogen, and protein nitrogen. The plants grown in nutrient solutions deficient in sulfur or nitrogen showed a decreased sensitivity to SO/sub 2/ pollution compared to the control. The higher content of amino acid nitrogen and organic sulfur of the plants grown in a nitrogen-deficient solution suggests that an increased synthesis of sulfur containing amino acids occurs. The slighter injury of the plants deficient in sulfur may be explained by the delayed sulfur supply.

Amino acids and proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Goudoever, Johannes B.; Vlaardingerbroek, Hester; van den Akker, Chris H.; de Groof, Femke; van der Schoor, Sophie R. D.

2014-01-01

Amino acids and protein are key factors for growth. The neonatal period requires the highest intake in life to meet the demands. Those demands include amino acids for growth, but proteins and amino acids also function as signalling molecules and function as neurotransmitters. Often the nutritional

Dependence of the metabolic fecal amino acids on the amino acid content of the feed. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krawielitzki, K.; Schadereit, R.; Voelker, T.; Reichel, K.

1981-01-01

The amount of metabolic fecal amino acids (MFAA) in dependence on the amino acid intake was determined for graded maize rations in 15 N-labelled rats and the part of labelled endogenous amino acids in feces was calculated by the isotope dilution method. The excretion of amino acids and MFAA in feces are described as functions of the amino acid intake for 17 amino acids and calculated regressively. For all 17 amino acids investigated, there was a more or less steep increase of MFAA according to an increasing amino acid intake. In contrast to N-free feeding, the MFAA increase to the 2- to 4.5-fold value in feeding with pure maize (16.5% crude protein). The thesis of the constancy of the excretion of MFAA can consequently be no longer maintained. The true digestibility according to the conventional method is, on an average of all amino acids, 7.3 units below ascertained according to the 15 N method. The limiting amino acids lysine and threonine revealed the greatest difference. Tryptophane as first limiting amino acid could not be determined. The true digestibility of nearly all amino acids ascertained for maize by the isotope method is above 90%. (author)

Study of disulfide reduction and alkyl chloroformate derivatization of plasma sulfur amino acids using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Svagera, Zdeněk; Hanzlíková, Dagmar; Simek, Petr; Hušek, Petr

2012-03-01

Four disulfide-reducing agents, dithiothreitol (DTT), 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulfonate (DMPS), and the newly tested 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (MESNA) and Tris(hydroxypropyl)phosphine (THP), were investigated in detail for release of sulfur amino acids in human plasma. After protein precipitation with trichloroacetic acid (TCA), the plasma supernatant was treated with methyl, ethyl, or propyl chloroformate via the well-proven derivatization-extraction technique and the products were subjected to gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis. All the tested agents proved to be rapid and effective reducing agents for the assay of plasma thiols. When compared with DTT, the novel reducing agents DMPS, MESNA, and THP provided much cleaner extracts and improved analytical performance. Quantification of homocysteine, cysteine, and methionine was performed using their deuterated analogues, whereas other analytes were quantified by means of 4-chlorophenylalanine. Precise and reliable assay of all examined analytes was achieved, irrespective of the chloroformate reagent used. Average relative standard deviations at each analyte level were ≤6%, quantification limits were 0.1-0.2 μmol L(-1), recoveries were 94-121%, and linearity was over three orders of magnitude (r(2) equal to 0.997-0.998). Validation performed with the THP agent and propyl chloroformate derivatization demonstrated the robustness and reliability of this simple sample-preparation methodology.

Studies on radiolysis of amino acids, (4)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oku, Tadatake

1978-01-01

In order to elucidate the effect of adding methionine on the loss of amino acid by γ-irradiation in amino acid mixture, because methionine is one of the most radio-sensitive in amino acids, the remaining amino acids in γ-irradiated aqueous solution of amino acid mixture were studied by determining the total amount of each remaining amino acid. The mixture of 18 amino acids which contains methionine and that of 17 amino acids without methionine were used. Amino acids and the irradiation products were determined with an automatic amino acid analyzer. The total amount of remaining amino acids in the irradiated solution of 18 amino acid mixture was more than that of 17 amino acid mixture. The order of the total amount of each remaining amino acid by low-dose irradiation was Gly>Ala>Asp>Glu>Val>Ser, Pro>Ile, Leu>Thr>Lys>Tyr>Arg>His>Phe>Try>Cys>Met. In case of the comparison of amino acids of same kinds, the total remaining amount of each amino acid in amino acid mixture was more than that of individually irradiated amino acid. The total remaining amounts of glycine, alanine and aspartic acid in irradiated 17 amino acid mixture resulted in slight increase. Ninhydrin positive products formed from 18 amino acid mixture irradiated with 2.640 x 10 3 rad were ammonia, methionine sulfoxide and DOPA of 1.34, 0.001 and 0.25 μmoles/ml of the irradiated solution, respectively. (Kobake, H.)

Requirement of Digestible Sulfur Amino Acids in Laying Hens Fed Sorghum- and Soybean Meal-Based Diets

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RS Gomez

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Two experiments were done to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of dietary digestible methionine (Met and Met:cysteine (Met:Cys ratio on the productivity of Hy-Line W-36 laying hens fed sorghum- and soybean meal-based diets. In Exp. 1, 160 hens from 68 to 75 weeks of age were assigned to four dietary levels of digestible Met (0.20 0.24, 0.28 and 0.32%. The digestible total sulfur amino acids:Lysine (TSAA:Lys ratios were: 62, 68, 76 and 84%. In Exp. 2, 192 hens from 76-83 weeks of age were assigned to four dietary digestible Met:Cys ratios (160, 116.7, 85.7 and 62.5%. The digestible TSAA:Lys ratio was kept constant across diets (80%. Results were subjected to ANOVA and linear regression analyses. In Exp. 1, optimal egg production, egg mass, and feed efficiency responses were observed at 0.30 and 0.50% of dietary digestible Met and TSAA, respectively (quadratic effect, p<0.05. Live performance was maximized with digestible Met and TSAA in takes of 288 and 478 mg/hen/d, respectively. In Exp. 2, optimal egg production and feed efficiency responses were observed at 151 and 150% of dietary digestible Met:Cys ratios, respectively (quadratic effect, p<0.05. The digestible Met, Cys and TSAA intake to maximize egg production and feed efficiency were 313, 207 and 510 mg/hen/d, respectively. The requirements for sulfur AA in Hy-Line W-36 hens from 68 to 83 weeks of age fed sorghum- and soybean meal-based diets fell inside the range of the requirements previously estimated in hens fed corn-soybean meal based diets.

Digestion of Bangka monazite with sulfuric acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riesna Prassanti

2012-01-01

Technology of Bangka monazite processing with alkaline method has been mastered by PPGN BATAN with the product in the form of RE (Rare Earth) which is contain U < 2 ppm and Th 12 - 16 ppm. Hence, as comparator, the research of Bangka monazite processing with acid method using sulfuric acid has been done. The aim of this research is to obtain the optimal condition of Bangka monazite's digestion using sulfuric acid so that all elements contained in the monazite that are U, Th, RE, PO 4 dissolved as much as possible. The research parameter's arc monazite particle's size, sulfuric acid consumption (weight ratio of monazite ore : sulfuric acid), digestion temperature, digestion time and consumption of wash water. The results showed that the optimal conditions of digestion are 250+ 325 mesh of monazite particle's size, 1 : 2.5 of weight ratio of monazite ore: sulfuric acid, 190°C of digestion temperature, 3 hours of digestion time and 8 times of weight monazite's feed of wash water with the recovery of digested U = 99.90 %, Th = 99.44 %, RE = 98.64 % and PO 4 = 99.88 %. (author)

Accidents with sulfuric acid

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Rajković Miloš B.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Sulfuric acid is an important industrial and strategic raw material, the production of which is developing on all continents, in many factories in the world and with an annual production of over 160 million tons. On the other hand, the production, transport and usage are very dangerous and demand measures of precaution because the consequences could be catastrophic, and not only at the local level where the accident would happen. Accidents that have been publicly recorded during the last eighteen years (from 1988 till the beginning of 2006 are analyzed in this paper. It is very alarming data that, according to all the recorded accidents, over 1.6 million tons of sulfuric acid were exuded. Although water transport is the safest (only 16.38% of the total amount of accidents in that way 98.88% of the total amount of sulfuric acid was exuded into the environment. Human factor was the common factor in all the accidents, whether there was enough control of the production process, of reservoirs or transportation tanks or the transport was done by inadequate (old tanks, or the accidents arose from human factor (inadequate speed, lock of caution etc. The fact is that huge energy, sacrifice and courage were involved in the recovery from accidents where rescue teams and fire brigades showed great courage to prevent real environmental catastrophes and very often they lost their lives during the events. So, the phrase that sulfuric acid is a real "environmental bomb" has become clearer.

Protective actions of sulfur amino acid-taurine: against in and off of radiation injury and beyond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Ramesh C.

2012-01-01

Chemicals are not single minded, yet in majority of cases biological activities are cumulate index of their physio-chemical nature. Taurine (2-amino ethane sulfonic acid) differs in its physical constituents to other neuro active amino acids in way of having 1.5 pka and 82 pkb showing more acidic and more basic than common neuro active amino acid like; aspartic acid, B Alanine and GABA. The intra molecular hydrogen bonding with lower proton affinity of the amino group in taurine than in GABA enables taurine ability to penetrate blood brain barrier, but at slower rate. Having sulphur, atom; adds addition value, as sulphur is necessary for sustaining the life processes. Sulphur containing amino acids (SAA) are not too many; generally SAA contains sulphur in their lower oxidation state (-2); for some reason sulphur in low oxidation state protects from oxygen toxicity and radiation damage. The composite effects of its distinct physical activities provided a label of meta-vitamin to indispensable amino acids with a wide spectrum of beneficial actions in diabetic to epilepsy, and from hypertension to ageing. It is well establish that high doses of ionized radiation leads to the enhanced leakage of taurine from the damage cells to extracellular fluid followed by increased urinary extraction. Radiation induced taurine depletion can itself have various harmful effects. Though taurine radio protective action mechanism is still incomplete but high level of taurine have been found in experimental studies with animals or in isolated cells exposed to high doses of ionization radiation. It is believe that taurine radio protective action is combination of multiple beneficial effects involving several action mechanism, during the exposure to ionizing radiation taurine may function as antioxidant, and in scavenging the harmful molecules, it is also possible that taurine may be helping to reduce the post traumatic inflammatory after radiation exposure or it may be participating to

Dependence of the metabolic fecal amino acids on the amino acid content of the feed. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krawielitzki, K.; Schadereit, R.; Voelker, T.; Reichel, K.

1982-01-01

In an experiment with 20 15 N-labelled growing rats the excretion of amino acids as well as of metabolic fecal amino acids were investigated after feeding of soybean oil meal as sole protein source. A low, yet statistically significant increase of the excretion of amino acids and metabolic fecal amino acids was ascertained in accordance with a growing quota of soybean oil meal in the ration. The true digestibility of amino acids ascertained according to conventional methods is above 90% and, under consideration of the increase of metabolic fecal amino acids, on the average increases by 3.5 digestibility units (1.4 to 6.2). (author)

Analysis of sulfur-iodine thermochemical cycle for solar hydrogen production. Part 1: decomposition of sulfuric acid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Cunping; T-Raissi, Ali [Central Florida Univ., Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL (United States)

2005-05-01

The sulfur-iodine (S-I) thermochemical water splitting cycle is one of the most studied cycles for hydrogen (H{sub 2}) production. S-I cycle consists of four sections: (I) acid production and separation and oxygen purification, (II) sulfuric acid concentration and decomposition, (III) hydroiodic acid (HI) concentration, and (IV) HI decomposition and H{sub 2} purification. Section II of the cycle is an endothermic reaction driven by the heat input from a high temperature source. Analysis of the S-I cycle in the past thirty years have been focused mostly on the utilization of nuclear power as the high temperature heat source for the sulfuric acid decomposition step. Thermodynamic as well as kinetic considerations indicate that both the extent and rate of sulfuric acid decomposition can be improved at very high temperatures (in excess of 1000 deg C) available only from solar concentrators. The beneficial effect of high temperature solar heat for decomposition of sulfuric acid in the S-I cycle is described in this paper. We used Aspen Technologies' HYSYS chemical process simulator (CPS) to develop flowsheets for sulfuric acid (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}) decomposition that include all mass and heat balances. Based on the HYSYS analyses, two new process flowsheets were developed. These new sulfuric acid decomposition processes are simpler and more stable than previous processes and yield higher conversion efficiencies for the sulfuric acid decomposition and sulfur dioxide and oxygen formation. (Author)

Amino acid "little Big Bang": representing amino acid substitution matrices as dot products of Euclidian vectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmermann, Karel; Gibrat, Jean-François

2010-01-04

Sequence comparisons make use of a one-letter representation for amino acids, the necessary quantitative information being supplied by the substitution matrices. This paper deals with the problem of finding a representation that provides a comprehensive description of amino acid intrinsic properties consistent with the substitution matrices. We present a Euclidian vector representation of the amino acids, obtained by the singular value decomposition of the substitution matrices. The substitution matrix entries correspond to the dot product of amino acid vectors. We apply this vector encoding to the study of the relative importance of various amino acid physicochemical properties upon the substitution matrices. We also characterize and compare the PAM and BLOSUM series substitution matrices. This vector encoding introduces a Euclidian metric in the amino acid space, consistent with substitution matrices. Such a numerical description of the amino acid is useful when intrinsic properties of amino acids are necessary, for instance, building sequence profiles or finding consensus sequences, using machine learning algorithms such as Support Vector Machine and Neural Networks algorithms.

Amino acid "little Big Bang": Representing amino acid substitution matrices as dot products of Euclidian vectors

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Zimmermann Karel

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sequence comparisons make use of a one-letter representation for amino acids, the necessary quantitative information being supplied by the substitution matrices. This paper deals with the problem of finding a representation that provides a comprehensive description of amino acid intrinsic properties consistent with the substitution matrices. Results We present a Euclidian vector representation of the amino acids, obtained by the singular value decomposition of the substitution matrices. The substitution matrix entries correspond to the dot product of amino acid vectors. We apply this vector encoding to the study of the relative importance of various amino acid physicochemical properties upon the substitution matrices. We also characterize and compare the PAM and BLOSUM series substitution matrices. Conclusions This vector encoding introduces a Euclidian metric in the amino acid space, consistent with substitution matrices. Such a numerical description of the amino acid is useful when intrinsic properties of amino acids are necessary, for instance, building sequence profiles or finding consensus sequences, using machine learning algorithms such as Support Vector Machine and Neural Networks algorithms.

Amino Acids and Chirality

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Jamie E.

2012-01-01

Amino acids are among the most heavily studied organic compound class in carbonaceous chondrites. The abundance, distributions, enantiomeric compositions, and stable isotopic ratios of amino acids have been determined in carbonaceous chondrites fi'om a range of classes and petrographic types, with interesting correlations observed between these properties and the class and typc of the chondritcs. In particular, isomeric distributions appear to correlate with parent bodies (chondrite class). In addition, certain chiral amino acids are found in enantiomeric excess in some chondrites. The delivery of these enantiomeric excesses to the early Earth may have contributed to the origin of the homochirality that is central to life on Earth today. This talk will explore the amino acids in carbonaceous chondritcs and their relevance to the origin of life.

Amino Acid Metabolism Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

... this process. One group of these disorders is amino acid metabolism disorders. They include phenylketonuria (PKU) and maple syrup urine disease. Amino acids are "building blocks" that join together to form ...

Branched-Chain Amino Acids

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Matteo Ghiringhelli

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Our study is focused on evaluation and use of the most effective and correct nutrients. In particular, our attention is directed to the role of certain amino acids in cachectic patients. During parenteral nutrition in humans, physician already associates in the PN-bags different formulations including amino acids, lipids and glucose solutions or essential amino acids solution alone or exclusively branched-chain amino acids (BCAA. Studies investigated the effects of dietary BCAA ingestion on different diseases and conditions such as obesity and metabolic disorders, liver disease, muscle atrophy, cancer, impaired immunity or injuries (surgery, trauma, burns, and sepsis. BCAAs have been shown to affect gene expression, protein metabolism, apoptosis and regeneration of hepatocytes, and insulin resistance. They have also been shown to inhibit the proliferation of liver cancer cells in vitro, and are essential for lymphocyte proliferation and dendritic cell maturation. Oral or parenteral administration of these three amino acids will allow us to evaluate the real efficacy of these compounds during a therapy to treat malnutrition in subjects unable to feed themselves.

Impact of Wort Amino Acids on Beer Flavour: A Review

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Inês M. Ferreira

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The process by which beer is brewed has not changed significantly since its discovery thousands of years ago. Grain is malted, dried, crushed and mixed with hot water to produce wort. Yeast is added to the sweet, viscous wort, after which fermentation occurs. The biochemical events that occur during fermentation reflect the genotype of the yeast strain used, and its phenotypic expression is influenced by the composition of the wort and the conditions established in the fermenting vessel. Although wort is complex and not completely characterized, its content in amino acids indubitably affects the production of some minor metabolic products of fermentation which contribute to the flavour of beer. These metabolic products include higher alcohols, esters, carbonyls and sulfur-containing compounds. The formation of these products is comprehensively reviewed in this paper. Furthermore, the role of amino acids in the beer flavour, in particular their relationships with flavour active compounds, is discussed in light of recent data.

PCI-GC-MS-MS approach for identification of non-amino organic acid and amino acid profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Luan, Hemi; Yang, Lin; Ji, Fenfen; Cai, Zongwei

2017-03-15

Alkyl chloroformate have been wildly used for the fast derivatization of metabolites with amino and/or carboxyl groups, coupling of powerful separation and detection systems, such as GC-MS, which allows the comprehensive analysis of non-amino organic acids and amino acids. The reagents involving n-alkyl chloroformate and n-alcohol are generally employed for providing symmetric labeling terminal alkyl chain with the same length. Here, we developed an asymmetric labeling strategy and positive chemical ionization gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (PCI-GC-MS-MS) approach for determination of non-amino organic acids and amino acids, as well as the short chain fatty acids. Carboxylic and amino groups could be selectively labelled by propyl and ethyl groups, respectively. The specific neutral loss of C 3 H 8 O (60Da), C 3 H 5 O 2 (74Da) and C 4 H 8 O 2 (88Da) were useful in the selective identification for qualitative analysis of organic acids and amino acid derivatives. PCI-GC-MS-MS using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was applied for semi-quantification of typical non-amino organic acids and amino acids. This method exhibited a wide range of linear range, good regression coefficient (R 2 ) and repeatability. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of targeted metabolites showed excellent intra- and inter-day precision (chloroformate derivatization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amino acid racemisation dating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray-Wallace, C.V.

1999-01-01

The potential of the time-dependent amino acid racemisation reaction as a method of age assessment was first reported by Hare and Abelson (1968). They noted that in specimens of the bivalve mollusc Mercenaria sp., greater concentrations of amino acids in the D-configuration with increasing fossil age. Hare and Abelson (1968) also reported negligible racemisation in a modern specimen of Mecanaria sp. On this basis they suggested that the extent of amino acid racemisation (epimerisation in the case of isoleucine) may be used to assess the age of materials within and beyond the range of radiocarbon dating. For the past thirty years amino acid racemisation has been extensively applied in Quaternary research as a method of relative and numeric dating, and a particularly large literature has emerged on the subject

Studies on radiolysis of amino acids, 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oku, Tadatake

1977-01-01

In order to elucidate the radiolysis of amino acid, peptide, protein and enzyme, the radiolytic mechanisms of neutral amino acids (glycine, L-alanine, L-valine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-serine, and L-threonine) and acidic amino acids (L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid and DL-amino-n-adipic acid) were studied in the presence of air or in the atmosphere nitrogen. An aqueous solution of 1 mM. of each amino acid was sealed in a glass ampoule under air or nitrogen. Irradiation of amino acid solutions was carried out with γ-rays of 60 Co at doses of 4.4-2,640x10 3 rads. The amino acids and the radiolytic products formed were determined by ion-exchange chromatography. From the results of determining amino acids and the radiolytic products formed and their G-values, the radiolytic mechanisms of the amino acids were discussed. (auth.)

Telluro amino acids-synthesis, characterization and properties of a new and potentially useful class of compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knapp, F.F. Jr.; Ambrose, K.R.; Callahan, A.P.

1978-01-01

The Te-123m nuclide emits 159 keV photons suggesting that agents labeled with this nuclide would be attractive candidates for tissue imaging. Amino acids labeled with Te-123m are of particular interest since some of these compounds would be isosteric with the sulfur analogs and might behave similarly in vivo. Such agents could possibly be useful for pancreatic imaging and for other biomedical applications. The goal of this investigation was to develop a general chemical method for the preparation of telluro amino acids. Attempts by other workers to prepare such compounds by microbiological methods have been unsuccessful. Since telluro amino acids were unknown prior to our studies we attempted the synthesis of a representative member of this class of compounds by several routes. Two general approaches were considered which involved either the introduction of an (organo telluro) reagent into a substrate that contained the protected -CH(NH 2 )COOH moiety or introduction of the reagent into a substrate that could subsequently be converted to the α-amino acid after the coupling step

Soft X-ray-induced decomposition of amino acids: An XPS, mass spectrometry, and NEXAFS study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubavichus, Yan; Fuchs, Oliver; Weinhardt, Lothar; Heske, Clemens; Umbach, Eberhard; Denlinger, Jonathan D.; Grunze, Michael

2003-01-01

Decomposition of five amino acids, alanine, serine, cysteine, aspartic acid, and asparagine, under irradiation with soft X-rays (magnesium Ka X-ray source) in ultra-high vacuum was studied by means of X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and mass spectrometry. A comparative analysis of changes in XPS line shapes, stoichiometry and residual gas composition indicates that the molecules decompose by several pathways. Dehydration, decarboxylation, decarbonylation,deamination and desulfurization of pristine molecules accompanied by desorption of H2, H2O, CO2, CO, NH3and H2S are observed with rates depending on the specific amino acid. NEXAFS spectra of cysteine at the carbon, oxygen and nitrogen K-shell and sulfur L2,3 edges complement the XPS and mass spectrometry data and show that the exposure of the sample to an intense soft X-ray synchrotron beam results in the formation of C-C and C-N double and triple bonds. Qualitatively, the amino acids studied can be arranged in the following ascending order of radiation stability:serine< alanine< aspartic acid< cysteine< asparagine

Azetidinic amino acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bräuner-Osborne, Hans; Bunch, Lennart; Chopin, Nathalie

2005-01-01

A set of ten azetidinic amino acids, that can be envisioned as C-4 alkyl substituted analogues of trans-2-carboxyazetidine-3-acetic acid (t-CAA) and/or conformationally constrained analogues of (R)- or (S)-glutamic acid (Glu) have been synthesized in a diastereo- and enantiomerically pure form from...... of two diastereoisomers that were easily separated and converted in two steps into azetidinic amino acids. Azetidines 35-44 were characterized in binding studies on native ionotropic Glu receptors and in functional assays at cloned metabotropic receptors mGluR1, 2 and 4, representing group I, II and III...... beta-amino alcohols through a straightforward five step sequence. The key step of this synthesis is an original anionic 4-exo-tet ring closure that forms the azetidine ring upon an intramolecular Michael addition. This reaction was proven to be reversible and to lead to a thermodynamic distribution...

Amino acid analogs for tumor imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodman, M.M.; Shoup, T.

1998-01-01

The invention provides novel amino acid compounds of use in detecting and evaluating brain and body tumors. These compounds combine the advantageous properties of 1-amino-cycloalkyl-1-carboxylic acids, namely, their rapid uptake and prolonged retention in tumors with the properties of halogen substituents, including certain useful halogen isotopes including fluorine-18, iodine-123, iodine-125, iodine-131, bromine-75, bromine-76, bromine-77 and bromine-82. In one aspect, the invention features amino acid compounds that have a high specificity for target sites when administered to a subject in vivo. Preferred amino acid compounds show a target to non-target ratio of at least 5:1, are stable in vivo and substantially localized to target within 1 hour after administration. An especially preferred amino acid compound is [ 18 F]-1-amino-3-fluorocyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (FACBC). In another aspect, the invention features pharmaceutical compositions comprised of an α-amino acid moiety attached to either a four, five, or a six member carbon-chain ring. In addition, the invention features analogs of α-aminoisobutyric acid

Investigation of the adsorption of amino acids on Pd(1 1 1): A density functional theory study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, Joanna N.; Han, Jeong Woo; Sholl, David S.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Density functional theory calculations have been performed to study the adsorption of glycine, alanine, norvaline, valine, proline, cysteine, and serine on Pd(1 1 1). • The common structural framework for the adsorption of most amino acids onto Pd(1 1 1) is in a tridentate fashion via a nitrogen atom and two oxygen atoms. • The shifts in vibrational frequencies associated with NHH and COO support the adsorption patterns of amino acids we examined. • The adsorption strength of amino acids depends on how much the molecules deform during the adsorption process. - Abstract: Density functional theory calculations have been used to study the adsorption of glycine, alanine, norvaline, valine, proline, cysteine, and serine on Pd(1 1 1). Most amino acids except cysteine adsorb onto the surface in a tridentate fashion through a nitrogen atom and both oxygen atoms. For cysteine, an additional bond is formed with the surface due to the strong affinity of the sulfur atom, resulting in a significantly larger adsorption energy. The adsorption patterns of amino acids we examined are supported by the shifts in vibrational frequencies associated with NHH and COO. The adsorption strength of amino acids depends on how much the molecules deform during the adsorption process. Understanding the adsorption of amino acids on Pd(1 1 1) provides fundamental information for future consideration of the interactions between their derivatives or more complicated biomolecules and metal surfaces

An amino acid depleted cell-free protein synthesis system for the incorporation of non-canonical amino acid analogs into proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh-Blom, Amrita; Hughes, Randall A; Ellington, Andrew D

2014-05-20

Residue-specific incorporation of non-canonical amino acids into proteins is usually performed in vivo using amino acid auxotrophic strains and replacing the natural amino acid with an unnatural amino acid analog. Herein, we present an efficient amino acid depleted cell-free protein synthesis system that can be used to study residue-specific replacement of a natural amino acid by an unnatural amino acid analog. This system combines a simple methodology and high protein expression titers with a high-efficiency analog substitution into a target protein. To demonstrate the productivity and efficacy of a cell-free synthesis system for residue-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids in vitro, we use this system to show that 5-fluorotryptophan and 6-fluorotryptophan substituted streptavidin retain the ability to bind biotin despite protein-wide replacement of a natural amino acid for the amino acid analog. We envisage this amino acid depleted cell-free synthesis system being an economical and convenient format for the high-throughput screening of a myriad of amino acid analogs with a variety of protein targets for the study and functional characterization of proteins substituted with unnatural amino acids when compared to the currently employed in vivo methodologies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Utilization of acidic α-amino acids as acyl donors: an effective stereo-controllable synthesis of aryl-keto α-amino acids and their derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Murai, Yuta; Yoshida, Takuma; Okamoto, Masashi; Tachrim, Zetryana Puteri; Hashidoko, Yasuyuki; Hashimoto, Makoto

2014-05-16

Aryl-keto-containing α-amino acids are of great importance in organic chemistry and biochemistry. They are valuable intermediates for the construction of hydroxyl α-amino acids, nonproteinogenic α-amino acids, as well as other biofunctional components. Friedel-Crafts acylation is an effective method to prepare aryl-keto derivatives. In this review, we summarize the preparation of aryl-keto containing α-amino acids by Friedel-Crafts acylation using acidic α-amino acids as acyl-donors and Lewis acids or Brönsted acids as catalysts.

Amino acids in the sedimentary humic and fulvic acids

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sardessai, S.

acids in the coastal Arabian Sea sediments: whereas amino acids content of fulvic acids was lower than that of humic acids in the coastal sediments of Bay of Bengal. Slope sedimentary humic acids were relatively enriched in amino acids as compared...

Role of sialic acid in synaptosomal transport of amino acid transmitters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaleska, M.M.; Erecinska, M.

1987-01-01

Active, high-affinity, sodium-dependent uptake of [ 14 C]-aminobutyric acid and of the acidic amino acid D-[ 3 H]-aspartate was inhibited by pretreatment of synaptosomes with neuraminidase from Vibrio cholerae. Inhibition was of a noncompetitive type and was related to the amount of sialic acid released. The maximum accumulation ratios of both amino acids (intracellular [amino acid]/extracellular [amino acid]) remained largely unaltered. Treatment with neuraminidase affected neither the synaptosomal energy levels nor the concentration of internal potassium. It is suggested that the γ-aminobutyric acid and acidic amino acid transporters are glycosylated and that sialic acid is involved in the operation of the carrier proteins directly and not through modification of driving forces responsible for amino acid uptake

Integrated evaluation of malonyl ginsenosides, amino acids and polysaccharides in fresh and processed ginseng.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Jin-Yi; Fan, Yong; Yu, Qing-Tao; Ge, Ya-Zhong; Yan, Chen-Pu; Alolga, Raphael N; Li, Ping; Ma, Zhong-Hua; Qi, Lian-Wen

2015-03-25

Many analytical methods have been developed to characterize ginsenosides in ginseng. Relatively less attention has been paid to the malonyl ginsenosides, amino acids and polysaccharides in various processing ginsengs. In this study, malonyl ginsenosides were characterized by LC-Q-TOF/MS. In positive mode, the most abundant ions at m/z 425.38 were observed corresponding to the protopanoxadiol-type ginsenosides. A rich diagnostic ion at 835.48 was shown representing the malonyl ginsenosides with at least two glucosides. Twelve malonyl ginsenosides were rapidly screened using 835.48-835.49 to restructure ion chromatograms. In negative mode, besides the high deprotonated ion, a neutral loss of 44 Da (CO2) was found. High-energy collision-induced dissociation at 50 V produced the most abundant product ion [M-H-malonyl](-) by a neutral loss of 86 Da. Determination of 17 common amino acids was performed on an automatic amino acid analyzer. Arginine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid were abundant. The contents of amino acids were 9.1% in fresh ginseng and 3.1% in black ginseng. Phenol-sulfuric acid method was applied to analysis of polysaccharides. The contents of polysaccharides were 29.1% in fresh ginseng and 11.1% in black ginseng. The optimal growth age for the accumulation of constituents was supposed to be 5-6 years. In conclusion, the contents of malonyl ginsenosides, amino acids, and polysaccharides, based on decreasing order, ranked as follows: fresh ginseng>frozen ginseng>white ginseng>stoved ginseng>red ginseng>black ginseng. Processing should be paid more attention for the quality control of ginseng products. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SHORT COMMUNICATION DETERMINATION OF AMINO ACIDS ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

B. S. Chandravanshi

The purpose of this study was to assess the levels of free and total amino acid ... Gas chromatographic method with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) was ... Total amino acid analysis was done on acid hydrolysates of RJ samples by the ion-exchange ... The data of amino acids and protein content for all analyzed fresh and.

Quantitative trait loci controlling sulfur containing amino acids, methionine and cysteine, in soybean seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Panthee, D R; Pantalone, V R; Sams, C E; Saxton, A M; West, D R; Orf, J H; Killam, A S

2006-02-01

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is the single largest source of protein in animal feed. However, a major limitation of soy proteins is their deficiency in sulfur-containing amino acids, methionine (Met) and cysteine (Cys). The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with Met and Cys concentration in soybean seed. To achieve this objective, 101 F(6)-derived recombinant inbred lines (RIL) from a population developed from a cross of N87-984-16 x TN93-99 were used. Ground soybean seed samples were analyzed for Met and Cys concentration using a near infrared spectroscopy instrument. Data were analyzed using SAS software and QTL Cartographer. RIL differed (Pseed dry weight) for Cys and 4.4-8.8 (g kg(-1) seed dry weight) for Met. Heritability estimates on an entry mean basis were 0.14 and 0.57 for Cys and Met, respectively. A total of 94 polymorphic simple sequence repeat molecular genetic markers were screened in the RIL. Single factor ANOVA was used to identify candidate QTL, which were confirmed by composite interval mapping using QTL Cartographer. Four QTL linked to molecular markers Satt235, Satt252, Satt427 and Satt436 distributed on three molecular linkage groups (MLG) D1a, F and G were associated with Cys and three QTL linked to molecular markers Satt252, Satt564 and Satt590 distributed on MLG F, G and M were associated with Met concentration in soybean seed. QTL associated with Met and Cys in soybean seed will provide important information to breeders targeting improvements in the nutritional quality of soybean.

Urinary amino acid analysis: a comparison of iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and amino acid analyzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaspar, Hannelore; Dettmer, Katja; Chan, Queenie; Daniels, Scott; Nimkar, Subodh; Daviglus, Martha L; Stamler, Jeremiah; Elliott, Paul; Oefner, Peter J

2009-07-01

Urinary amino acid analysis is typically done by cation-exchange chromatography followed by post-column derivatization with ninhydrin and UV detection. This method lacks throughput and specificity. Two recently introduced stable isotope ratio mass spectrometric methods promise to overcome those shortcomings. Using two blinded sets of urine replicates and a certified amino acid standard, we compared the precision and accuracy of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of propyl chloroformate and iTRAQ derivatized amino acids, respectively, to conventional amino acid analysis. The GC-MS method builds on the direct derivatization of amino acids in diluted urine with propyl chloroformate, GC separation and mass spectrometric quantification of derivatives using stable isotope labeled standards. The LC-MS/MS method requires prior urinary protein precipitation followed by labeling of urinary and standard amino acids with iTRAQ tags containing different cleavable reporter ions distinguishable by MS/MS fragmentation. Means and standard deviations of percent technical error (%TE) computed for 20 amino acids determined by amino acid analyzer, GC-MS, and iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS analyses of 33 duplicate and triplicate urine specimens were 7.27+/-5.22, 21.18+/-10.94, and 18.34+/-14.67, respectively. Corresponding values for 13 amino acids determined in a second batch of 144 urine specimens measured in duplicate or triplicate were 8.39+/-5.35, 6.23+/-3.84, and 35.37+/-29.42. Both GC-MS and iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS are suited for high-throughput amino acid analysis, with the former offering at present higher reproducibility and completely automated sample pretreatment, while the latter covers more amino acids and related amines.

A new highly selective metabotropic excitatory amino acid agonist: 2-amino-4-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)butyric acid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bräuner-Osborne, Hans; Sløk, F A; Skjaerbaek, N

1996-01-01

The homologous series of acidic amino acids, ranging from aspartic acid (1) to 2-aminosuberic acid (5), and the corresponding series of 3-isoxazolol bioisosteres of these amino acids, ranging from (RS)-2-amino-2-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)acetic acid (AMAA, 6) to (RS)-2-amino-6-(3-hydroxy-5......-methylisoxazol-4-yl)hexanoic acid (10), were tested as ligands for metabotropic excitatory amino acid receptors (mGlu1 alpha, mGlu2, mGlu4a, and mGlu6). Whereas AMAA (6) and (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)propinoic acid (AMPA, 7) are potent and highly selective agonists at N......-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and AMPA receptors, respectively, the higher homologue of AMPA (7), (RS)-2-amino-4-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)butyric acid (homo-AMPA, 8), is inactive at ionotropic excitatory amino acid receptors. Homo-AMPA (8), which is a 3-isoxazolol bioisostere of 2-aminoadipic acid (3), was...

New concepts of microbial treatment processes for the nitrogen removal: effect of protein and amino acids degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Martínez, Alejandro; Calderón, Kadiya; González-López, Jesús

2016-05-01

High concentrations of proteins and amino acids can be found in wastewater and wastewater stream produced in anaerobic digesters, having shown that amino acids could persist over different managements for nitrogen removal affecting the nitrogen removal processes. Nitrogen removal is completely necessary because of their implications and the significant adverse environmental impact of ammonium such as eutrophication and toxicity to aquatic life on the receiving bodies. In the last decade, the treatment of effluents with high ammonium concentration through anammox-based bioprocesses has been enhanced because these biotechnologies are cheaper and more environmentally friendly than conventional technologies. However, it has been shown that the presence of important amounts of proteins and amino acids in the effluents seriously affects the microbial autotrophic consortia leading to important losses in terms of ammonium oxidation efficiency. Particularly the presence of sulfur amino acids such as methionine and cysteine has been reported to drastically decrease the autotrophic denitrification processes as well as affect the microbial community structure promoting the decline of ammonium oxidizing bacteria in favor of other phylotypes. In this context we discuss that new biotechnological processes that improve the degradation of protein and amino acids must be considered as a priority to increase the performance of the autotrophic denitrification biotechnologies.

Surface damage in cystine, an amino acid dimer, induced by keV ions.

Science.gov (United States)

Salles, R C M; Coutinho, L H; da Veiga, A G; Sant'Anna, M M; de Souza, G G B

2018-01-28

We have studied the interaction of an ion beam (17.6 keV F - ) with cystine, a dimer formed by the binding of two cysteine residues. Cystine can be considered as an ideal prototype for the study of the relevance of the disulfide (-S-S-) chemical bond in biomolecules. For the sake of comparison, the amino acid cysteine has also been subjected to the same experimental conditions. Characterization of the samples by XPS and NEXAFS shows that both pristine cystine and pristine cysteine are found as a dipolar ion (zwitterion). Following irradiation, the dimer and the amino acid show a tendency to change from the dipole ion form to the normal uncharged form. The largest spectral modification was observed in the high resolution XPS spectra obtained at around the N 1s core level for the two biomolecules. The 2p sulfur edge spectra of cysteine and cystine were much less sensitive to radiation effects. We suggest that the disulfide bond (-S-S-) remains stable before and after irradiation, contributing to the larger radiation stability of cystine as compared to the amino acid cysteine.

Nutritional and medicinal aspects of D-amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Mendel; Levin, Carol E

2012-05-01

This paper reviews and interprets a method for determining the nutritional value of D-amino acids, D-peptides, and amino acid derivatives using a growth assay in mice fed a synthetic all-amino acid diet. A large number of experiments were carried out in which a molar equivalent of the test compound replaced a nutritionally essential amino acid such as L-lysine (L-Lys), L-methionine (L-Met), L-phenylalanine (L-Phe), and L-tryptophan (L-Trp) as well as the semi-essential amino acids L-cysteine (L-Cys) and L-tyrosine (L-Tyr). The results show wide-ranging variations in the biological utilization of test substances. The method is generally applicable to the determination of the biological utilization and safety of any amino acid derivative as a potential nutritional source of the corresponding L-amino acid. Because the organism is forced to use the D-amino acid or amino acid derivative as the sole source of the essential or semi-essential amino acid being replaced, and because a free amino acid diet allows better control of composition, the use of all-amino-acid diets for such determinations may be preferable to protein-based diets. Also covered are brief summaries of the widely scattered literature on dietary and pharmacological aspects of 27 individual D-amino acids, D-peptides, and isomeric amino acid derivatives and suggested research needs in each of these areas. The described results provide a valuable record and resource for further progress on the multifaceted aspects of D-amino acids in food and biological samples.

Ionotropic excitatory amino acid receptor ligands. Synthesis and pharmacology of a new amino acid AMPA antagonist

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, U; Sløk, F A; Stensbøl, T B

2000-01-01

We have previously described the potent and selective (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl)propionic acid (AMPA) receptor agonist, (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-carboxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl)propionic acid (ACPA), and the AMPA receptor antagonist (RS)-2-amino-3-[3-(carboxymethoxy)-5-methyl-4...... excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors using receptor binding and electrophysiological techniques, and for activity at metabotropic EAA receptors using second messenger assays. Compounds 1 and 4 were essentially inactive. (RS)-2-Amino-3-[3-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl]propionic acid (ACMP, 2......-isoxazolyl]propionic acid (AMOA). Using these AMPA receptor ligands as leads, a series of compounds have been developed as tools for further elucidation of the structural requirements for activation and blockade of AMPA receptors. The synthesized compounds have been tested for activity at ionotropic...

Amino acid properties conserved in molecular evolution.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Witold R Rudnicki

Full Text Available That amino acid properties are responsible for the way protein molecules evolve is natural and is also reasonably well supported both by the structure of the genetic code and, to a large extent, by the experimental measures of the amino acid similarity. Nevertheless, there remains a significant gap between observed similarity matrices and their reconstructions from amino acid properties. Therefore, we introduce a simple theoretical model of amino acid similarity matrices, which allows splitting the matrix into two parts - one that depends only on mutabilities of amino acids and another that depends on pairwise similarities between them. Then the new synthetic amino acid properties are derived from the pairwise similarities and used to reconstruct similarity matrices covering a wide range of information entropies. Our model allows us to explain up to 94% of the variability in the BLOSUM family of the amino acids similarity matrices in terms of amino acid properties. The new properties derived from amino acid similarity matrices correlate highly with properties known to be important for molecular evolution such as hydrophobicity, size, shape and charge of amino acids. This result closes the gap in our understanding of the influence of amino acids on evolution at the molecular level. The methods were applied to the single family of similarity matrices used often in general sequence homology searches, but it is general and can be used also for more specific matrices. The new synthetic properties can be used in analyzes of protein sequences in various biological applications.

Urinary Amino Acid Analysis: A Comparison of iTRAQ®-LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and Amino Acid Analyzer

Science.gov (United States)

Kaspar, Hannelore; Dettmer, Katja; Chan, Queenie; Daniels, Scott; Nimkar, Subodh; Daviglus, Martha L.; Stamler, Jeremiah; Elliott, Paul; Oefner, Peter J.

2009-01-01

Urinary amino acid analysis is typically done by cation-exchange chromatography followed by post-column derivatization with ninhydrin and UV detection. This method lacks throughput and specificity. Two recently introduced stable isotope ratio mass spectrometric methods promise to overcome those shortcomings. Using two blinded sets of urine replicates and a certified amino acid standard, we compared the precision and accuracy of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of propyl chloroformate and iTRAQ® derivatized amino acids, respectively, to conventional amino acid analysis. The GC-MS method builds on the direct derivatization of amino acids in diluted urine with propyl chloroformate, GC separation and mass spectrometric quantification of derivatives using stable isotope labeled standards. The LC-MS/MS method requires prior urinary protein precipitation followed by labeling of urinary and standard amino acids with iTRAQ® tags containing different cleavable reporter ions distinguishable by MS/MS fragmentation. Means and standard deviations of percent technical error (%TE) computed for 20 amino acids determined by amino acid analyzer, GC-MS, and iTRAQ®-LC-MS/MS analyses of 33 duplicate and triplicate urine specimens were 7.27±5.22, 21.18±10.94, and 18.34±14.67, respectively. Corresponding values for 13 amino acids determined in a second batch of 144 urine specimens measured in duplicate or triplicate were 8.39±5.35, 6.23±3.84, and 35.37±29.42. Both GC-MS and iTRAQ®-LC-MS/MS are suited for high-throughput amino acid analysis, with the former offering at present higher reproducibility and completely automated sample pretreatment, while the latter covers more amino acids and related amines. PMID:19481989

Extraction of sulfuric acid with TOPO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shuyun, Xue; Yonghui, Yang; Yanzhao, Yang; Sixiu, Sun; Borong, Bao

1998-01-01

A study on solvent extraction of sulfuric acid by tri-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) in n-heptane has been made. Extraction coefficients of H 2 SO 4 as a function of H 2 SO 4 concentration in aqueous phase, and extractant concentrations in organic phase have been studied. The composition of extracted species, equilibrium constants of extraction reaction have been evaluated. These results are important for interpreting extraction equilibrium data of uranium(VI) or other metal ions with TOPO in sulfuric acid media. (author)

Synthesis of some labelled non-proteinogenic amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adrianens, P.; Vanderhaeghe, H.

1987-01-01

The literature on the synthesis of labeled non-proteinogenic amino acids contains approximately 300 papers, whereas syntheses of labeled proteinogenic amino acids are dealt with in some 800-1000 publications. However, most of the methods described in this paper for the synthesis of non-proteinogenic amino acids are also used for the preparation of the essential amino acids addition, the first category also contains β, γ...amino acids, seleno amino acids, N-methyl and α-methyl amino acids and sometimes have atoms or groups which are not present in the protein building blocks. Furthermore the latter group is more easily available so that methods for synthesis of non-proteinogenic amino acids are more needed

Amino Acid Transporters and Release of Hydrophobic Amino Acids in the Heterocyst-Forming Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Pernil

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 is a filamentous cyanobacterium that can use inorganic compounds such as nitrate or ammonium as nitrogen sources. In the absence of combined nitrogen, it can fix N2 in differentiated cells called heterocysts. Anabaena also shows substantial activities of amino acid uptake, and three ABC-type transporters for amino acids have been previously characterized. Seven new loci encoding predicted amino acid transporters were identified in the Anabaena genomic sequence and inactivated. Two of them were involved in amino acid uptake. Locus alr2535-alr2541 encodes the elements of a hydrophobic amino acid ABC-type transporter that is mainly involved in the uptake of glycine. ORF all0342 encodes a putative transporter from the dicarboxylate/amino acid:cation symporter (DAACS family whose inactivation resulted in an increased uptake of a broad range of amino acids. An assay to study amino acid release from Anabaena filaments to the external medium was set up. Net release of the alanine analogue α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB was observed when transport system N-I (a hydrophobic amino acid ABC-type transporter was engaged in the uptake of a specific substrate. The rate of AIB release was directly proportional to the intracellular AIB concentration, suggesting leakage from the cells by diffusion.

Amino Acid Crossword Puzzle

Science.gov (United States)

Sims, Paul A.

2011-01-01

Learning the 20 standard amino acids is an essential component of an introductory course in biochemistry. Later in the course, the students study metabolism and learn about various catabolic and anabolic pathways involving amino acids. Learning new material or concepts often is easier if one can connect the new material to what one already knows;…

Amino acid composition of some Mexican foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales de León, Josefina; Camacho, M Elena; Bourges, Héctor

2005-06-01

Knowledge of the amino acid composition of foods is essential to calculate their chemical score, which is used to predict protein quality of foods and diets. Though amino acid composition of many foods is reasonably well established, better knowledge is needed on native foods consumed in different regions and countries. This paper presents the amino acid composition of different presentations of raw and processed foods produced and consumed in Mexico. The amino acid composition was determined using Beckman amino acid analyzers (models 116 and 6300). Tryptophan was determined using the Spies and Chambers method. Of the different foods analyzed, some comments are made on native or basic foods in Mexico: Spirulin, where lysine is the limiting amino acid, with a chemical score of 67%, is a good source of tryptophan (1.16g/16 gN); amaranth contains high levels of sulphur amino acids (4.09 to 5.34 g/16gN), with a protein content of 15 g/100g; and pulque, a Pre-Hispanic beverage that contains high levels of tryptophan (2.58 g/16 gN) and sulphur amino acids (2.72 g/16 gN). Finally, insects are good sources of sulphur amino acids and lysine.

Present Global Situation of Amino Acids in Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Tonouchi, Naoto; Ito, Hisao

At present, amino acids are widely produced and utilized industrially. Initially, monosodium glutamate (MSG) was produced by extraction from a gluten hydrolysate. The amino acid industry started using the residual of the lysate. The discovery of the functions of amino acids has led to the expansion of their field of use. In addition to seasoning and other food use, amino acids are used in many fields such as animal nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. On the other hand, the invention of the glutamate fermentation process, followed by the development of fermentation methods for many other amino acids, is no less important. The supply of these amino acids at a low price is very essential for their industrial use. Most amino acids are now produced by fermentation. The consumption of many amino acids such as MSG or feed-use amino acids is still rapidly increasing.

Enantiomer-specific selection of amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Xueying; Tellez, Luis A; de Araujo, Ivan E

2013-12-01

Dietary intake of L-amino acids impacts on several physiological functions, including the control of gastrointestinal motility, pancreatic secretion, and appetite. However, the biological mechanisms regulating behavioral predilections for certain amino acid types remain poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that, in mice, the potency with which a given glucogenic amino acid increases glucose utilization reflects its rewarding properties. We have found that: (1) during long-, but not short-, term preference tests, L-alanine and L-serine were preferred over their D-enantiomer counterparts, while no such effect was observed for L-threonine vs. D-threonine; (2) these behavioral patterns were closely associated with the ability of L-amino acids to promote increases in respiratory exchange ratios such that those, and only those, L-amino acids able to promote increases in respiratory exchange ratios were preferred over their D-isomers; (3) these behavioral preferences were independent of gustatory influences, since taste-deficient Trpm5 knockout mice displayed ingestive responses very similar to those of their wild-type counterparts. We conclude that the ability to promote increases in respiratory exchange ratios enhances the reward value of nutritionally relevant amino acids and suggest a mechanistic link between substrate utilization and amino acid preferences.

Synthesis of L-2-amino-8-oxodecanoic acid: an amino acid component of apicidins

OpenAIRE

Linares de la Morena, María Lourdes; Agejas Chicharro, Francisco Javier; Alajarín Ferrández, Ramón; Vaquero López, Juan José; Álvarez-Builla Gómez, Julio

2001-01-01

The synthesis Of L-2-amino-8-oxodecanoic acid (Aoda) is described. This is a rare amino acid component of apicidins, a family of new cyclic tetrapeptides, inhibitors of histone deacetylase. Aoda was synthesised in seven steps from L-glutamic acid along with some derivatives. Universidad de Alcalá Fundación General de la Universidad de Alcalá FEDER

Sulfur-containing constituents and one 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid derivative from pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.] fruit.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Zong-Ping; Ma, Jinyu; Cheng, Ka-Wing; Chao, Jianfei; Zhu, Qin; Chang, Raymond Chuen-Chung; Zhao, Ming; Lin, Zhi-Xiu; Wang, Mingfu

2010-12-01

Two sulfur-containing compounds, (S)-2-amino-5-((R)-1-carboxy-2-((E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)allylthio)ethyl-amino)-5-oxopentanoic acid (1) and (S)-2-amino-5-((R)-1-(carboxymethylamino)-3-((E)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)allylthio)-1-oxopropan-2-ylamino)-5-oxopentanoic acid (2), and one 1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid derivative, 6-(3-(1H-pyrrole-2-carbonyloxy)-2-hydroxypropoxy)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-carboxylic acid (3), together with eighteen known phenolic compounds, were isolated from the fruits of pineapple. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic analyses. Some of these compounds showed inhibitory activities against tyrosinase. The half maximal inhibitory concentration values of compounds 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 are lower than 1 mM. These compounds may contribute to the well-known anti-browning effect of pineapple juice and be potential skin whitening agents in cosmetic applications. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Free amino acids in spider hemolymph.

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Tillinghast, Edward K; Townley, Mark A

2008-11-01

We examined the free amino acid composition of hemolymph from representatives of five spider families with an interest in knowing if the amino acid profile in the hemolymph of orb-web-building spiders reflects the high demands for small organic compounds in the sticky droplets of their webs. In nearly all analyses, on both orb and non-orb builders, glutamine was the most abundant free amino acid. Glycine, taurine, proline, histidine, and alanine also tended to be well-represented in orb and non-orb builders. While indications of taxon-specific differences in amino acid composition were observed, it was not apparent that two presumptive precursors (glutamine, taurine) of orb web sticky droplet compounds were uniquely enriched in araneids (orb builders). However, total amino acid concentrations were invariably highest in the araneids and especially so in overwintering juveniles, even as several of the essential amino acids declined during this winter diapause. Comparing the data from this study with those from earlier studies revealed a number of discrepancies. The possible origins of these differences are discussed.

carcass amino acid composition and utilization of dietary amino

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Maynard (1954), Fisher & Scott (1954), Forbes &. Rao (1959), Hartsook & Mitchell (1956). King (1963) showed that individual amino acids in the carcass could differ widely from the requirement by the anirnal for those particular amino acids used for purposes other than protein synthesis and subsequent retention. How-.

Interaction of metal ions and amino acids - Possible mechanisms for the adsorption of amino acids on homoionic smectite clays

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, A.; Loew, G. H.; Lawless, J.

1983-01-01

A semiempirical molecular orbital method is used to characterize the binding of amino acids to hexahydrated Cu(2+) and Ni(2+), a process presumed to occur when they are adsorbed in the interlamellar space of homoionic smectite clays. Five alpha-amino acids, beta-alanine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid were used to investigate the metal ion and amino acid specificity in binding. It was assumed that the alpha, beta, and gamma-amino acids would bind as bidentate anionic ligands, forming either 1:1 or 1:2 six-coordinated five, six, and seven-membered-ring chelate complexes, respectively. Energies of complex formation, optimized geometries, and electron and spin distribution were determined; and steric constraints of binding of the amino acids to the ion-exchanged cations in the interlamellar spacing of a clay were examined. Results indicate that hexahydrated Cu(2+) forms more stable complexes than hexahydrated Ni(2+) with all the amino acids studied. However, among these amino acids, complex formation does not favor the adsorption of the biological subset. Calculated energetics of complex formation and steric constraints are shown to predict that 1:1 rather than 1:2 metal-amino acid complexes are generally favored in the clay.

Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in the Almahata Sitta Meteorite

Science.gov (United States)

Glavin, Daniel P.; Aubrey, Andrew D.; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Elsila, Jamie E.; Parker, Eric T.; Bada, Jeffrey L.

2010-01-01

Amino acid analysis of a meteorite fragment of asteroid 2008 TC3 called Almahata Sitta was carried out using reverse-phase liquid chromatography coupled with UV fluorescence detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-FD/ToF-MS) as part of a sample analysis consortium. LC-FD/ToF-MS analyses of hot-water extracts from the meteorite revealed a complex distribution of two- to seven-carbon aliphatic amino acids and one- to three-carbon amines with abundances ranging from 0.5 to 149 parts-per-billion (ppb). The enantiomeric ratios of the amino acids alanine, R-amino-n-butyric acid (beta-ABA), 2-amino-2-methylbutanoic acid (isovaline), and 2-aminopentanoic acid (norvaline) in the meteorite were racemic (D/L approximately 1), indicating that these amino acids are indigenous to the meteorite and not terrestrial contaminants. Several other non-protein amino acids were also identified in the meteorite above background levels including alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (alpha-AIB), 4-amino-2- methylbutanoic acid, 4-amino-3-methylbutanoic acid, and 3-, 4-, and 5-aminopentanoic acid. The total abundances of isovaline and alpha-AIB in Almahata Sitta are 1000 times lower than the abundances of these amino acids found in the CM carbonaceous chondrite Murchison. The extremely low abundances and unusual distribution of five carbon amino acids in Almahata Sitta compared to Cl, CM, and CR carbonaceous chondrites may reflect extensive thermal alteration of amino acids on the parent asteroid by partial melting during formation or subsequent impact shock heating. It is also possible that amino acids were synthesized by catalytic reactions on the parent body after asteroid 2008 TC3 cooled to lower temperatures.

Amino Acid Stability in the Early Oceans

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, E. T.; Brinton, K. L.; Burton, A. S.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; Bada, J. L.

2015-01-01

It is likely that a variety of amino acids existed in the early oceans of the Earth at the time of the origin and early evolution of life. "Primordial soup", hydrothermal vent, and meteorite based processes could have contributed to such an inventory. Several "protein" amino acids were likely present, however, based on prebiotic synthesis experiments and carbonaceous meteorite studies, non-protein amino acids, which are rare on Earth today, were likely the most abundant. An important uncertainty is the length of time these amino acids could have persisted before their destruction by abiotic and biotic processes. Prior to life, amino acid concentrations in the oceans were likely regulated by circulation through hydro-thermal vents. Today, the entire ocean circulates through vent systems every 10(exp 7) years. On the early Earth, this value was likely smaller due to higher heat flow and thus marine amino acid life-time would have been shorter. After life, amino acids in the oceans could have been assimilated by primitive organisms.

Optical Sensors for Detection of Amino Acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettiwala, Aafrin M; Singh, Prabhat K

2017-11-06

Amino acids are crucially involved in a myriad of biological processes. Any aberrant changes in physiological level of amino acids often manifest in common metabolic disorders, serious neurological conditions and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, devising methods for detection of trace amounts of amino acids becomes highly elemental to their efficient clinical diagnosis. Recently, the domain of developing optical sensors for detection of amino acids has witnessed significant activity which is the focus of the current review article. We undertook a detailed search of the peer-reviewed literature that primarily deals with optical sensors for amino acids and focuses on the use of different type of materials as a sensing platform. Ninety-five papers have been included in the review, majority of which deals with optical sensors. We attempt to systematically classify these contributions based on applications of various chemical and biological scaffolds such as polymers, supramolecular assemblies, nanoparticles, DNA, heparin etc. for the sensing of amino acids. This review identifies that supramolecular assemblies and nanomaterial continue to be commonly used materials to devise sensors for amino acids followed by surfactant assemblies. The broad implications of amino acids in human health and diagnosis have stirred a lot of interest to develop optimized optical detection systems for amino acids in recent years, using different materials based on chemical and biological scaffolds. We have also attempted to highlight the merits and demerits of some of the noteworthy sensor systems to instigate further efforts for constructing amino acids sensor based on unconventional concepts. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Functional evidence for the critical amino-terminal conserved domain and key amino acids of Arabidopsis 4-HYDROXY-3-METHYLBUT-2-ENYL DIPHOSPHATE REDUCTASE.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Wei-Yu; Sung, Tzu-Ying; Wang, Hsin-Tzu; Hsieh, Ming-Hsiun

2014-09-01

The plant 4-HYDROXY-3-METHYLBUT-2-ENYL DIPHOSPHATE REDUCTASE (HDR) catalyzes the last step of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway to synthesize isopentenyl diphosphate and its allyl isomer dimethylallyl diphosphate, which are common precursors for the synthesis of plastid isoprenoids. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genomic HDR transgene-induced gene-silencing lines are albino, variegated, or pale green, confirming that HDR is essential for plants. We used Escherichia coli isoprenoid synthesis H (Protein Data Bank code 3F7T) as a template for homology modeling to identify key amino acids of Arabidopsis HDR. The predicted model reveals that cysteine (Cys)-122, Cys-213, and Cys-350 are involved in iron-sulfur cluster formation and that histidine (His)-152, His-241, glutamate (Glu)-242, Glu-243, threonine (Thr)-244, Thr-312, serine-379, and asparagine-381 are related to substrate binding or catalysis. Glu-242 and Thr-244 are conserved only in cyanobacteria, green algae, and land plants, whereas the other key amino acids are absolutely conserved from bacteria to plants. We used site-directed mutagenesis and complementation assay to confirm that these amino acids, except His-152 and His-241, were critical for Arabidopsis HDR function. Furthermore, the Arabidopsis HDR contains an extra amino-terminal domain following the transit peptide that is highly conserved from cyanobacteria, and green algae to land plants but not existing in the other bacteria. We demonstrated that the amino-terminal conserved domain was essential for Arabidopsis and cyanobacterial HDR function. Further analysis of conserved amino acids in the amino-terminal conserved domain revealed that the tyrosine-72 residue was critical for Arabidopsis HDR. These results suggest that the structure and reaction mechanism of HDR evolution have become specific for oxygen-evolving photosynthesis organisms and that HDR probably evolved independently in cyanobacteria versus other prokaryotes. © 2014

Searching for Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in a Contaminated Meteorite: Amino Acid Analyses of the Canakkale L6 Chondrite

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, A. S.; Elsila, J. E.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; Ornek, C. Y.; Esenoglu, H. H.; Unsalan, O.; Ozturk, B.

2016-01-01

Amino acids can serve as important markers of cosmochemistry, as their abundances and isomeric and isotopic compositions have been found to vary predictably with changes in parent body chemistry and alteration processes. Amino acids are also of astrobiological interest because they are essential for life on Earth. Analyses of a range of meteorites, including all groups of carbonaceous chondrites, along with H, R, and LL chondrites, ureilites, and a martian shergottite, have revealed that amino acids of plausible extraterrestrial origin can be formed in and persist after a wide range of parent body conditions. However, amino acid analyses of L6 chondrites to date have not provided evidence for indigenous amino acids. In the present study, we performed amino acid analysis on larger samples of a different L6 chondite, Canakkale, to determine whether or not trace levels of indigenous amino acids could be found. The Canakkale meteor was an observed fall in late July, 1964, near Canakkale, Turkey. The meteorite samples (1.36 and 1.09 g) analyzed in this study were allocated by C. Y. Ornek, along with a soil sample (1.5 g) collected near the Canakkale recovery site.

Branched-chain amino acids for hepatic encephalopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Als-Nielsen, B; Koretz, R L; Kjaergard, L L

2003-01-01

Hepatic encephalopathy may be caused by a decreased plasma ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to aromatic amino acids. Treatment with BCAA may therefore have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy.......Hepatic encephalopathy may be caused by a decreased plasma ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to aromatic amino acids. Treatment with BCAA may therefore have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy....

Sites that Can Produce Left-handed Amino Acids in the Supernova Neutrino Amino Acid Processing Model

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, Richard N.; Famiano, Michael A.; Onaka, Takashi; Kajino, Toshitaka

2018-03-01

The Supernova Neutrino Amino Acid Processing model, which uses electron anti-neutrinos and the magnetic field from a source object such as a supernova to selectively destroy one amino acid chirality, is studied for possible sites that would produce meteoroids with partially left-handed amino acids. Several sites appear to provide the requisite magnetic field intensities and electron anti-neutrino fluxes. These results have obvious implications for the origin of life on Earth.

Amino Acid Patterns around Disulfide Bonds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brett Drury

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Disulfide bonds provide an inexhaustible source of information on molecular evolution and biological specificity. In this work, we described the amino acid composition around disulfide bonds in a set of disulfide-rich proteins using appropriate descriptors, based on ANOVA (for all twenty natural amino acids or classes of amino acids clustered according to their chemical similarities and Scheffé (for the disulfide-rich proteins superfamilies statistics. We found that weakly hydrophilic and aromatic amino acids are quite abundant in the regions around disulfide bonds, contrary to aliphatic and hydrophobic amino acids. The density distributions (as a function of the distance to the center of the disulfide bonds for all defined entities presented an overall unimodal behavior: the densities are null at short distances, have maxima at intermediate distances and decrease for long distances. In the end, the amino acid environment around the disulfide bonds was found to be different for different superfamilies, allowing the clustering of proteins in a biologically relevant way, suggesting that this type of chemical information might be used as a tool to assess the relationship between very divergent sets of disulfide-rich proteins.

The corrosion protection of several aluminum alloys by chromic acid and sulfuric acid anodizing

Science.gov (United States)

Danford, M. D.

1994-01-01

The corrosion protection afforded 7075-T6, 7075-T3, 6061-T6, and 2024-T3 aluminum alloys by chromic acid and sulfuric acid anodizing was examined using electrochemical techniques. From these studies, it is concluded that sulfuric acid anodizing provides superior corrosion protection compared to chromic acid anodizing.

Synthesis and biological activity of amino acid conjugates of abscisic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Todoroki, Yasushi; Narita, Kenta; Muramatsu, Taku; Shimomura, Hajime; Ohnishi, Toshiyuki; Mizutani, Masaharu; Ueno, Kotomi; Hirai, Nobuhiro

2011-03-01

We prepared 19 amino acid conjugates of the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) and investigated their biological activity, enzymatic hydrolysis by a recombinant Arabidopsis amidohydrolases GST-ILR1 and GST-IAR3, and metabolic fate in rice seedlings. Different sets of ABA-amino acids induced ABA-like responses in different plants. Some ABA-amino acids, including some that were active in bioassays, were hydrolyzed by recombinant Arabidopsis GST-IAR3, although GST-ILR1 did not show hydrolysis activity for any of the ABA-amino acids. ABA-L-Ala, which was active in all the bioassays, an Arabidopsis seed germination, spinach seed germination, and rice seedling elongation assays, except in a lettuce seed germination assay and was hydrolyzed by GST-IAR3, was hydrolyzed to free ABA in rice seedlings. These findings suggest that some plant amidohydrolases hydrolyze some ABA-amino acid conjugates. Because our study indicates the possibility that different plants have hydrolyzing activity toward different ABA-amino acids, an ABA-amino acid may function as a species-selective pro-hormone of ABA. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and Biological Activity of Novel Amino Acid-(N'-Benzoyl Hydrazide and Amino Acid-(N'-Nicotinoyl Hydrazide Derivatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sherine N. Khattab

2005-09-01

Full Text Available The coupling reaction of benzoic acid and nicotinic acid hydrazides with N- protected L-amino acids including valine, leucine, phenylalanine, glutamic acid and tyrosine is reported. The target compounds, N-Boc-amino acid-(N`-benzoyl- and N- Boc-amino acid-(N`-nicotinoyl hydrazides 5a-5e and 6a-6e were prepared in very high yields and purity using N-[(dimethylamino-1H-1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-b]pyridin-1-yl- methylene]-N-methyl-methanaminium hexafluorophosphate N-oxide (HATU as coupling reagent. The antimicrobial activity of the Cu and Cd complexes of the designed compounds was tested. The products were deprotected affording the corresponding amino acid-(N`-benzoyl hydrazide hydrochloride salts (7a-7e and amino acid-(N`- nicotinoyl hydrazide hydrochloride salts (8a-8e. These compounds and their Cu and Cd complexes were also tested for their antimicrobial activity. Several compounds showed comparable activity to that of ampicillin against S. aureus and E. coli.

Evaluation of methods to estimate the essential amino acids requirements of fish from the muscle amino acid profile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Álvaro José de Almeida Bicudo

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Many methods to estimate amino acid requirement based on amino acid profile of fish have been proposed. This study evaluates the methodology proposed by Meyer & Fracalossi (2005 and by Tacon (1989 to estimate amino acids requirement of fish, which do exempt knowledge on previous nutritional requirement of reference amino acid. Data on amino acid requirement of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, were used to validate de accuracy of those methods. Meyer & Fracalossi's and Tacon's methodology estimated the lysine requirement of pacu, respectively, at 13 and 23% above requirement determined using dose-response method. The values estimated by both methods lie within the range of requirements determined for other omnivorous fish species, the Meyer & Fracalossi (2005 method showing better accuracy.

Discovery and History of Amino Acid Fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashimoto, Shin-Ichi

There has been a strong demand in Japan and East Asia for L-glutamic acid as a seasoning since monosodium glutamate was found to present umami taste in 1907. The discovery of glutamate fermentation by Corynebacterium glutamicum in 1956 enabled abundant and low-cost production of the amino acid, creating a large market. The discovery also prompted researchers to develop fermentative production processes for other L-amino acids, such as lysine. Currently, the amino acid fermentation industry is so huge that more than 5 million metric tons of amino acids are manufactured annually all over the world, and this number continues to grow. Research on amino acid fermentation fostered the notion and skills of metabolic engineering which has been applied for the production of other compounds from renewable resources. The discovery of glutamate fermentation has had revolutionary impacts on both the industry and science. In this chapter, the history and development of glutamate fermentation, including the very early stage of fermentation of other amino acids, are reviewed.

Density functional theory fragment descriptors to quantify the reactivity of a molecular family: application to amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Senet, P; Aparicio, F

2007-04-14

By using the exact density functional theory, one demonstrates that the value of the local electronic softness of a molecular fragment is directly related to the polarization charge (Coulomb hole) induced by a test electron removed (or added) from (at) the fragment. Our finding generalizes to a chemical group a formal relation between these molecular descriptors recently obtained for an atom in a molecule using an approximate atomistic model [P. Senet and M. Yang, J. Chem. Sci. 117, 411 (2005)]. In addition, a practical ab initio computational scheme of the Coulomb hole and related local descriptors of reactivity of a molecular family having in common a similar fragment is presented. As a blind test, the method is applied to the lateral chains of the 20 isolated amino acids. One demonstrates that the local softness of the lateral chain is a quantitative measure of the similarity of the amino acids. It predicts the separation of amino acids in different biochemical groups (aliphatic, basic, acidic, sulfur contained, and aromatic). The present approach may find applications in quantitative structure activity relationship methodology.

Amino acid metabolism conflicts with protein diversity

OpenAIRE

Krick, Teresa; Shub, David A.; Verstraete, Nina; Ferreiro, Diego U.; Alonso, Leonardo G.; Shub, Michael; Sanchez, Ignacio E.

2014-01-01

The 20 protein-coding amino acids are found in proteomes with different relative abundances. The most abundant amino acid, leucine, is nearly an order of magnitude more prevalent than the least abundant amino acid, cysteine. Amino acid metabolic costs differ similarly, constraining their incorporation into proteins. On the other hand, a diverse set of protein sequences is necessary to build functional proteomes. Here, we present a simple model for a cost-diversity trade-off postulating that n...

Extraterrestrial material analysis: loss of amino acids during liquid-phase acid hydrolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Buch, Arnaud; Brault, Amaury; Szopa, Cyril; Freissinet, Caroline

2015-04-01

Searching for building blocks of life in extraterrestrial material is a way to learn more about how life could have appeared on Earth. With this aim, liquid-phase acid hydrolysis has been used, since at least 1970 , in order to extract amino acids and other organic molecules from extraterrestrial materials (e.g. meteorites, lunar fines) or Earth analogues (e.g. Atacama desert soil). This procedure involves drastic conditions such as heating samples in 6N HCl for 24 h, either under inert atmosphere/vacuum, or air. Analysis of the hydrolyzed part of the sample should give its total (free plus bound) amino acid content. The present work deals with the influence of the 6N HCl hydrolysis on amino acid degradation. Our experiments have been performed on a standard solution of 17 amino acids. After liquid-phase acid hydrolysis (6N HCl) under argon atmosphere (24 h at 100°C), the liquid phase was evaporated and the dry residue was derivatized with N-Methyl-N-(t-butyldimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) and dimethylformamide (DMF), followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. After comparison with derivatized amino acids from the standard solution, a significant reduction of the chromatographic peak areas was observed for most of the amino acids after liquid-phase acid hydrolysis. Furthermore, the same loss pattern was observed when the amino acids were exposed to cold 6N HCl for a short amount of time. The least affected amino acid, i.e. glycine, was found to be 73,93% percent less abundant compared to the non-hydrolyzed standard, while the most affected, i.e. histidine, was not found in the chromatograms after hydrolysis. Our experiments thereby indicate that liquid-phase acid hydrolysis, even under inert atmosphere, leads to a partial or total loss of all of the 17 amino acids present in the standard solution, and that a quick cold contact with 6N HCl is sufficient to lead to a loss of amino acids. Therefore, in the literature, the reported increase

Sulfur sources in protein supplements for ruminants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cássio José da Silva

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The present study evaluates the efficiency of different sulfur sources for ruminant nutrition. The fiber digestibility and the amino acid profile were analyzed in the duodenal digesta of crossbred steers fed Brachiaria dictyoneurahay. The sources utilized were elemental sulfur (ES70S, elemental sulfur (ES98S; calcium sulfate in hydrated (HCS, CaSO4.2H2O, and anhydrous (ACS, CaSO4, forms; and ammonium sulfate (AS, (NH42SO4, keeping a nitrogen:sulfur ratio of 11:1. The iso-protein supplements had 50% of protein in the total dry matter (DM. Five Holstein × Zebu steers, which were fistulated in the rumen and abomasum, were distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square. The different sulfur sources in the supplement did not affect any of the evaluated nutritional factors, such as intake of hay dry matter and protein supplement, crude protein (CP, neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (NDFap, organic matter (OM, non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC, ether extract (EE, total digestible nutrients (TDN, NDFap and CP digestibility coefficients, ruminal pH, and ruminal ammonia concentration. The concentrations of amino acids available in the abomasal digesta did not differ significantly in the tested diets. The sulfur sources evaluated in the present study are suitable as supplement for cattle, and their employment may be important to avoid environmental contaminations.

Emerging Perspectives on Essential Amino Acid Metabolism in Obesity and the Insulin-Resistant State12

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Sean H.

2011-01-01

Dysregulation of insulin action is most often considered in the context of impaired glucose homeostasis, with the defining feature of diabetes mellitus being elevated blood glucose concentration. Complications arising from the hyperglycemia accompanying frank diabetes are well known and epidemiological studies point to higher risk toward development of metabolic disease in persons with impaired glucose tolerance. Although the central role of proper blood sugar control in maintaining metabolic health is well established, recent developments have begun to shed light on associations between compromised insulin action [obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)] and altered intermediary metabolism of fats and amino acids. For amino acids, changes in blood concentrations of select essential amino acids and their derivatives, in particular BCAA, sulfur amino acids, tyrosine, and phenylalanine, are apparent with obesity and insulin resistance, often before the onset of clinically diagnosed T2DM. This review provides an overview of these changes and places recent observations from metabolomics research into the context of historical reports in the areas of biochemistry and nutritional biology. Based on this synthesis, a model is proposed that links the FFA-rich environment of obesity/insulin resistance and T2DM with diminution of BCAA catabolic enzyme activity, changes in methionine oxidation and cysteine/cystine generation, and tissue redox balance (NADH/NAD+). PMID:22332087

Sugar amino acids and related molecules

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Sugar amino acids constitute an important class of such polyfunctional scaffolds where the carboxyl, amino and hydroxyl termini provide an excellent opportunity to organic chemists to create structural diversities akin to Nature's molecular arsenal. In recent years, sugar amino acids have been used extensively in the area of ...

Distribution of Amino Acids in Lunar Regolith

Science.gov (United States)

Elsila, J. E.; Callahan, M. P.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; Noble, S. K.; Gibson, E. K., Jr.

2014-01-01

One of the most eagerly studied questions upon initial return of lunar samples was whether significant amounts of organic compounds, including amino acids, were present. Analyses during the 1970s produced only tentative and inconclusive identifications of indigenous amino acids. Those analyses were hampered by analytical difficulties including relative insensitivity to certain compounds, the inability to separate chiral enantiomers, and the lack of compound-specific isotopic measurements, which made it impossible to determine whether the detected amino acids were indigenous to the lunar samples or the results of contamination. Numerous advances have been made in instrumentation and methodology for amino acid characterization in extraterrestrial samples in the intervening years, yet the origin of amino acids in lunar regolith samples has been revisited only once for a single lunar sample, (3) and remains unclear. Here, we present initial data from the analyses of amino acid abundances in 12 lunar regolith samples. We discuss these abundances in the context of four potential amino acid sources: (1) terrestrial biological contamination; (2) contamination from lunar module (LM) exhaust; (3) derivation from solar windimplanted precursors; and (4) exogenous delivery from meteorites.

Preservation of peptide moieties in three Spanish sulfur-rich Tertiary kerogens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rio, J.C. del [Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Seville (Spain). Inst. de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia; Olivella, M.A.; Heras, F.X.D. de las [Escola Universitaria Politecnica de Manresa, Catalonia (Spain); Knicker, H. [Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Bodenkunde

2004-09-01

Thermochemolysis with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) and solid-state {sup 15}N NMR were utilized for the characterization of refractory organic nitrogen in Tertiary Spanish kerogens. The samples included sulfur-rich oil shales from the Ribesalbes (Serravallian), Libros (Tortonian) and Cerdanya (Tortonian) basins. Analysis using solid state {sup 15}N NMR showed that part of the refractory nitrogen in the kerogens corresponds to amide groups. Moreover, the release of amino acid derivatives after pyrolysis in the presence of TMAH indicated that this amide-N arose from peptide moieties. The amino acids released from the kerogens were dominated by high amounts of glycine and alanine. Minor amounts of aspartic acid, serine, {alpha}-aminobutyric acid and other unidentified amino acids were also detected. Because proteinaceous structures, including small peptides, are generally considered as being highly sensitive to diagenetic degradation, encapsulation of labile peptide material into aliphatic structures in S-rich kerogens (probably via lipid sulfurization) has been proposed to explain the survival of these moieties. Substantial amounts of fatty acids (as methyl esters) were also released from all the kerogens after pyrolysis/TMAH, indicating their highly aliphatic character. The production of both fatty acids and amino acids from the kerogens supports the encapsulation process. (author)

Plasma free amino acid kinetics in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using a bolus injection of 15N-labeled amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Jacob William; Yanke, Dan; Mirza, Jeff; Ballantyne, James Stuart

2011-02-01

To gain insight into the metabolic design of the amino acid carrier systems in fish, we injected a bolus of (15)N amino acids into the dorsal aorta in mature rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The plasma kinetic parameters including concentration, pool size, rate of disappearance (R(d)), half-life and turnover rate were determined for 15 amino acids. When corrected for metabolic rate, the R(d) values obtained for trout for most amino acids were largely comparable to human values, with the exception of glutamine (which was lower) and threonine (which was higher). R(d) values ranged from 0.9 μmol 100 g(-1) h(-1) (lysine) to 22.1 μmol 100 g(-1) h(-1) (threonine) with most values falling between 2 and 6 μmol 100 g(-1) h(-1). There was a significant correlation between R(d) and the molar proportion of amino acids in rainbow trout whole body protein hydrolysate. Other kinetic parameters did not correlate significantly with whole body amino acid composition. This indicates that an important design feature of the plasma-free amino acids system involves proportional delivery of amino acids to tissues for protein synthesis.

Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of novel bicyclic acidic amino acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conti, Paola; De Amici, Marco; Joppolo Di Ventimiglia, Samuele

2003-01-01

Bicyclic acidic amino acids (+/-)-6 and (+/-)-7, which are conformationally constrained homologues of glutamic acid, were prepared via a strategy based on a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. The new amino acids were tested toward ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes; both of them...

Amino acid derived 1,4-dialkyl substituted imidazolones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diness, Frederik; Meldal, Morten Peter

2010-01-01

A general method for synthesis of 1,4-substituted imidazolones from amino acids on solid support or in solution has been developed. Amino acid derived 3-Boc-(1,3)-oxazinane (Box) protected amino aldehyde building blocks were coupled through urea bonds to the amino terminal of dipeptides or amino...... acids. Upon acidic release, the aldehyde instantaneously formed the cyclic N-carbamyliminium ion, which rearranged to the corresponding imidazolone. Under strongly acidic conditions the imidazolones acted as nuclophiles in the Pictet-Spengler reaction....

Distinctive Roles of D-Amino Acids in the Homochiral World: Chirality of Amino Acids Modulates Mammalian Physiology and Pathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasabe, Jumpei; Suzuki, Masataka

2018-05-22

Living organisms enantioselectively employ L-amino acids as the molecular architecture of protein synthesized in the ribosome. Although L-amino acids are dominantly utilized in most biological processes, accumulating evidence points to the distinctive roles of D-amino acids in non-ribosomal physiology. Among the three domains of life, bacteria have the greatest capacity to produce a wide variety of D-amino acids. In contrast, archaea and eukaryotes are thought generally to synthesize only two kinds of D-amino acids: D-serine and D-aspartate. In mammals, D-serine is critical for neurotransmission as an endogenous coagonist of N-methyl D-aspartate receptors. Additionally, D-aspartate is associated with neurogenesis and endocrine systems. Furthermore, recognition of D-amino acids originating in bacteria is linked to systemic and mucosal innate immunity. Among the roles played by D-amino acids in human pathology, the dysfunction of neurotransmission mediated by D-serine is implicated in psychiatric and neurological disorders. Non-enzymatic conversion of L-aspartate or L-serine residues to their D-configurations is involved in age-associated protein degeneration. Moreover, the measurement of plasma or urinary D-/L-serine or D-/L-aspartate levels may have diagnostic or prognostic value in the treatment of kidney diseases. This review aims to summarize current understanding of D-amino-acid-associated biology with a major focus on mammalian physiology and pathology.

Protein synthesis in the presence of carbamoyl-amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraus, L.M.; Stephens, M.C.

1987-01-01

The role of exogenous carbamoyl-amino acids in protein biosynthesis has been examined in vitro using a mixture of 14 C amino acids to label newly synthesized protein in human reticulocyte rich (8-18%) peripheral blood. Aliquots of the radiolabeled newly synthesized protein were acid precipitated, washed and the radioactivity measured. Control samples which measured the synthetic capacity of the blood were aliquots of the same blood- 14 C amino acid mixture without added carbamoyl-amino acids or cyanate. N-carbamoyl leucine alone or a 3 N-carbamoyl amino acid mixture of leucine, aspartic acid and tyrosine were used to test inhibition of protein synthesis. Also carbamoyl-amino acids were synthesized using cyanate and Pierce hydrolyzate amino acid calibration standards or the mixture of 14 C amino acids. In this system the carbamoylation of endogenous amino acids by cyanate up to 8 μmol/100μl showed a linear decrease in protein synthesis with time which is inversely related to the cyanate concentration. At greater cyanate levels the inhibition of protein synthesis reaches a plateau. When N-carbamoyl-amino acids only are present there is about a 50% decrease in the 14 C protein at 30 minutes as compared to the synthesis of 14 C protein without N-carbamoyl-amino acids. These results indicate that the presence of carbamoyl-amino acids interferes with protein synthesis

Sulfur and Hydrogen Isotope Anomalies in Meteorite Sulfonic Acids

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, George W.; Thiemens, Mark H.; Jackson, Teresa L.; Chang, Sherwood

1997-01-01

Intramolecular carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur isotope ratios were measured on a homologous series of organic sulfonic acids discovered in the Murchison meteorite. Mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionations were observed along with high deuterium/hydrogen ratios. The deuterium enrichments indicate formation of the hydrocarbon portion of these compounds in a low-temperature environment that is consistent with that of interstellar clouds. Sulfur-33 enrichments observed in methanesulfonic acid could have resulted from gas-phase ultraviolet irradiation of a precursor, carbon disulfide. The source of the sulfonic acid precursors may have been the reactive interstellar molecule carbon monosulfide.

Amino Acid Metabolism in Acute Renal Failure: Influence of Intravenous Essential L-Amino Acid Hyperalimentation Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Abel, Ronald M.; Shih, Vivian E.; Abbott, William M.; Beck, Clyde H.; Fischer, Josef E.

1974-01-01

A solution of 8 essential I-amino acids and hypertonic dextrose was administered to 5 patients in acute postoperative renal failure in a program of hyperalimentation designed to decrease the patient's catabolic state and to accrue certain metabolic benefits. A sixth patient receiving intravenous glucose alone served as a control. The pretreatment plasma concentrations of amino acids in all 6 patients did not differ significantly from normal; following intravenous essential amino acids at a dose of approximately 12.6 gm/24 hours, no significant elevations out of the normal range of these substances occurred. Since urinary excretion rates did not dramatically increase, urinary loss was excluded as a possible cause for the failure of increase of plasma concentrations. The results suggest that the administration of an intravenous solution of 1-amino acids and hypertonic dextrose is associated with rapid clearance from the blood of these substances and, with a failure of increased urinary excretion, indirect evidence of amino acid utilization for protein synthesis has been obtained. Histidine supplementation in patients with acute renal failure is probably unnecessary based on the lack of significant decreases in histidine concentrations in these patients. PMID:4850497

Chemical composition and ruminal degradation kinetics of crude protein and amino acids, and intestinal digestibility of amino acids from tropical forages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lidia Ferreira Miranda

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to determine the chemical composition and ruminal degradation of the crude protein (CP, total and individual amino acids of leaves from tropical forages: perennial soybean (Neonotonia wightii, cassava (Manihot esculenta, leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala and ramie (Boehmeria nivea, and to estimate the intestinal digestibility of the rumen undegradable protein (RUDP and individual amino acids of leaves from the tropical forages above cited, but including pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan. Three nonlactating Holstein cows were used to determine the in situ ruminal degradability of protein and amino acids from leaves (6, 18 and 48 hours of ruminal incubation. For determination of the intestinal digestibility of RUDP, the residue from ruminal incubation of the materials was used for 18 hours. A larger concentration of total amino acids for ramie and smaller for perennial soybean were observed; however, they were very similar in leucaena and cassava. Leucine was the essential amino acid of greater concentration, with the exception of cassava, which exhibited a leucine concentration 40.45% smaller. Ramie showed 14.35 and 22.31% more lysine and methionine, respectively. The intestinal digestibility of RUDP varied from 23.56; 47.87; 23.48; 25.69 and 10.86% for leucaena, perennial soybean, cassava, ramie and pigeon pea, respectively. The individual amino acids of tropical forage disappeared in different extensions in the rumen. For the correct evaluation of those forages, one should consider their composition of amino acids, degradations and intestinal digestibility, once the amino acid composition of the forage does not reflect the amino acid profiles that arrived in the small intestine. Differences between the degradation curves of CP and amino acids indicate that degradation of amino acids cannot be estimated through the degradation curve of CP, and that amino acids are not degraded in a similar degradation profile.

Turkey-hen amino acid composition of brain and eyes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adeyeye, E.I.

2015-01-01

The amino acids composition of the brain and eyes of the mature Turkey-hen (Meleagris gallopavo L.), were determined on dry weight basis. Total essential amino acids ranged from 35.1-36.0 g/100 g as 49.5-49.8% of the total amino acids. The amino acid score showed that lysine ranged from 0.76-0.91 (on whole hen.s egg comparison), 0.85-1.03 (on provisional essential amino acid scoring pattern), and 0.81-0.98 (on suggested requirement of the essential amino acid of a preschool child). The predicted protein efficiency ratio was 1.94-2.41, whilst essential amino acid index range was 1.06-1.08 and the calculated isoelectric point range was 3.97-4.18. The correlation coefficient (rxy) was positively high and significant at r = 0.01 for the total amino acids, amino acid scores (on the whole hen.s egg comparisons made) and the isoelectric point. On the whole, the eyes were better in 12/18 or 66.7% parameters of the amino acids than the brain of Turkey-Hen. (author)

Contribution of dietary amino acids composition to incidence of cardiovascular outcomes: A prospective population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirmiran, P; Bahadoran, Z; Ghasemi, A; Azizi, F

2017-07-01

Considering the limited data on the cardiovascular effects of dietary amino acid intakes, we assessed possible association of dietary amino acids with the risk of cardiovascular (CVD) events in a prospective population-based study. Participants without CVD (n = 2369) were recruited from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study and were followed for a mean of 6.7 years. Dietary protein and amino acid intakes were assessed at baseline (2006-2008); demographic, lifestyle and biochemical variables were evaluated at baseline and follow-up examination (2012-2014). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to estimate risk of CVD across tertiles of dietary amino acids. Mean total protein intake was 76.9 ± 27.5 g/d, and dietary protein had no significant association with the risk of CVD (HR = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.65-2.31, and HR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.19-1.41, in the second and third tertiles, respectively). After adjustment of potential confounders, the amino acid pattern with higher load of glycine, cysteine, arginine and tryptophan, was negatively associated with CVD (HR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.09-0.88, P for trend = 0.08). Higher intake of sulfur-containing amino acids (cysteine and methionine), and potentially cardioprotective amino acids (arginine, cysteine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, leucine and tyrosine) corresponded to 73% (HR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.09-0.86) and 74% (HR = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.09-0.78) decreased risk of CVD events. Higher intake of glutamic acid and proline (% of dietary total protein) increased the risk of CVD (HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.03-1.64, and HR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.10-1.60, respectively). These novel data provide evidence to suggest that amino acid composition of diet may modify the risk of CVD events. Copyright © 2017 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, and the Department of

Methods for preparation of deuterated amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pshenichnikova, A.B.; Karnaukhova, E.N.; Zvonkova, E.N.

1995-01-01

The current state and prospects for the use of amino acids labeled with stable isotopes are considered. Methods for the preparation of deuterated amino acids, including synthetic, chemicoenzymatic, and biosynthetic ones, and deuterium exchange reactions are summarized. Problems in the preparation of optically pure amino acids are discussed. 120 refs., 15 figs

Density, viscosity, and N2O solubility of aqueous amino acid salt and amine amino acid salt solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aronu, Ugochukwu E.; Hartono, Ardi; Svendsen, Hallvard F.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Density of amino acid salt and amine amino acid salt. ► Viscosity of amino acid salt and amine amino acid salt. ► Henry’s law constant/N 2 O solubility of amino acid salt and amine amino acid salt. ► Schumpe model. Correlations for density, viscosity, and N 2 O solubility. - Abstract: Physicochemical properties of aqueous amino acid salt (AAS), potassium salt of sarcosine (KSAR) and aqueous amine amino acid salt (AAAS), 3-(methylamino)propylamine/sarcosine (SARMAPA) have been studied. Densities of KSAR were measured for sarcosine mole fraction 0.02 to 0.25 for temperature range 298.15 K to 353.15 K, the viscosities were measured for 0.02 to 0.10 mole fraction sarcosine (293.15 K to 343.15 K) while the N 2 O solubilities were measured from 0.02 to 0.10 mole fraction sarcosine solutions (298.15 K to 363.15 K). Densities of SARMAPA were measured for sarcosine mole fraction 0.02 to 0.23 for temperature range (298.15 K to 353.15 K), viscosities were measured for 0.02 to 0.16 mole fraction sarcosine (293.15 K to 343.15 K) while the N 2 O solubilities were measured from 0.02 to 0.16 mole fraction sarcosine solutions (298.15 K to 343.15 K). Experimental results were correlated well with empirical correlations and N 2 O solubility results for KSAR were predicted adequately by a Schumpe model. The solubilities of N 2 O in AAS and AAAS are significantly lower than values for amines. The solubilities vary as: amine > AAAS > AAS.

Amino acid chirality breaking by N-phosphorylation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Yufen; Yan Qingjin.

1995-01-01

The chirality breaking of amino acid is a focus issue in the origin of life. For chemists, there are some interesting chemical approaches to solve the symmetry breaking problem. Our previous experiments indicated that when amino acids were phosphorylated, there were many bio-mimic reactions happened. In this paper, it was found that there had significant difference between the N-phosphoryl L- and D- amino acids such as serine and threonine. The optical rotation tracing experiments of the racemic N-phosphoamino acids also showed the similar results. The chirality breaking of amino acids by N-phosphorylation was a novel phenomena. (author). 3 refs, 1 fig. Abstract only

Amino Acids from a Comet

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Jamie Elisla

2009-01-01

NASA's Stardust spacecraft returned samples from comet 81P/Wild 2 to Earth in January 2006. Examinations of the organic compounds in cometary samples can reveal information about the prebiotic organic inventory present on the early Earth and within the early Solar System, which may have contributed to the origin of life. Preliminary studies of Stardust material revealed the presence of a suite of organic compounds including several amines and amino acids, but the origin of these compounds (cometary- vs. terrestrial contamination) could not be identified. We have recently measured the carbon isotopic ratios of these amino acids to determine their origin, leading to the first detection of a coetary amino acid.

Sulfur amino acids in Cushing's disease: insight in homocysteine and taurine levels in patients with active and cured disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Faggiano, Antongiulio; Melis, Daniela; Alfieri, Raffaele; De Martino, MariaCristina; Filippella, Mariagiovanna; Milone, Francesco; Lombardi, Gaetano; Colao, Annamaria; Pivonello, Rosario

2005-12-01

Cushing's syndrome is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Although a series of cardiovascular risk factors have been identified, sulfur amino acids (SAAs), recently indicated as independent cardiovascular risk factors, have been poorly investigated in patients with Cushing's syndrome. The aim of this cross-sectional controlled study was to evaluate serum and urinary levels and urinary excretion rate (ER) of SAAs in patients with Cushing's disease (CD) during the active disease and after long-term disease remission. Forty patients with CD (20 with active disease and 20 with cured disease for at least 5 yr) and 40 controls entered the study. Serum and urinary concentrations and urinary ER of SAAs, namely methionine, cystine, homocysteine, and taurine, were measured by means of cationic exchange HPLC. Serum folic acid and vitamin B12 levels were also evaluated in patients and controls and correlated to SAA levels. CD patients with active disease had higher serum and urinary concentrations of cystine and homocysteine, and lower serum and higher urinary concentrations and ER of taurine than cured patients and controls. Vitamin B12 levels were significantly decreased in patients with active disease compared with cured patients and controls, whereas folic acid levels were slightly decreased in patients than in controls. In patients with active CD, urinary cortisol concentrations were significantly and inversely correlated to serum taurine and directly correlated to taurine urinary ER, and fasting serum glucose levels were significantly correlated to taurine urinary ER. At the multiple regression analysis, urinary cortisol concentrations were the best predictors of taurine ER. CD is associated with hyperhomocysteinemia and hypotaurinemia. Glucocorticoid excess, acting directly or indirectly, seems to be the most responsible for this imbalance in SAA levels. The long-term disease remission is accompanied by normalization of SAA levels. Hyperhomocysteinemia and

Molecular interaction of pinic acid with sulfuric acid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elm, Jonas; Kurtén, Theo; Bilde, Merete

2014-01-01

We investigate the molecular interactions between the semivolatile α-pinene oxidation product pinic acid and sulfuric acid using computational methods. The stepwise Gibbs free energies of formation have been calculated utilizing the M06-2X functional, and the stability of the clusters is evaluated...... cluster. The involvement of more than one pinic acid molecule in a single cluster is observed to lead to the formation of favorable (pinic acid)2(H2SO4) and (pinic acid)2(H2SO4)2 clusters. The identified most favorable growth paths starting from a single pinic acid molecule lead to closed structures...

Effects of alkali or acid treatment on the isomerization of amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohmori, Taketo; Mutaguchi, Yuta; Doi, Katsumi; Ohshima, Toshihisa

2012-10-01

The effect of alkali treatment on the isomerization of amino acids was investigated. The 100×D/(D+L) values of amino acids from peptide increased with increase in the number of constituent amino acid residues. Furthermore, the N-terminal amino acid of a dipeptide was isomerized to a greater extent than the C-terminal residue. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Primordial Synthesis of Amines and Amino Acids in a 1958 Miller H2S-Rich Spark Discharge Experiment

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Parker, Eric T.; Cleaves, Henderson J.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Callahan, Michael; Aubrey, Andrew; Lazcano, Antonio; Bada, Jeffrey L.

2011-01-01

Archived samples from a previously unreported 1958 Stanley Miller electric discharge experiment containing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) were recently discovered and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We report here the detection and quantification of primary amine-containing compounds in the original sample residues, which were produced via spark discharge using a gaseous mixture of H2S, CH4, NH3, and CO2. A total of 23 amino acids and 4 amines, including 7 organosulfur compounds, were detected in these samples. The major amino acids with chiral centers are racemic within the accuracy of the measurements, indicating that they are not contaminants introduced during sample storage. This experiment marks the first synthesis of sulfur amino acids from spark discharge experiments designed to imitate primordia! environments. The relative yield of some amino acids, in particular the isomers of aminobutyric acid, are the highest ever found in a spark discharge experiment. The simulated primordial conditions used by Miller may serve as a model for early volcanic plume chemistry and provide insight to the possible roles such plumes may have played in abiotic organic synthesis. Additionally, the overall abundances of the synthesized amino acids in the presence of H2S are very similar to the abundances found in some carbonaceous meteorites, suggesting that H2S may have played an important role in prebiotic reactions in early solar system environments.

Unnatural reactive amino acid genetic code additions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deiters, Alexander; Cropp, T. Ashton; Chin, Jason W.; Anderson, Christopher J.; Schultz, Peter G.

2017-10-25

This invention provides compositions and methods for producing translational components that expand the number of genetically encoded amino acids in eukaryotic cells. The components include orthogonal tRNAs, orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, orthogonal pairs of tRNAs/synthetases and unnatural amino acids. Proteins and methods of producing proteins with unnatural amino acids in eukaryotic cells are also provided.

Sulfur Speciation in Graves Nunataks GRA 95229 and Murchison: Similarities and Differences

Science.gov (United States)

Bose, M.; Root, R.

2017-07-01

We identified cysteine, a sulfur bearing amino acid in situ of Murchison and a large (120 × 150 µm2) phosphorus-bearing domain in GRA 95229 using XRF and u-XANES. Elemental sulfur, abundant in GRA 95229, is always co-located with sulfate.

Preferential Treatment: Interaction Between Amino Acids and Minerals

Science.gov (United States)

Crapster-Pregont, E. J.; Cleaves, H. J.; Hazen, R. M.

2008-12-01

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are important for some models of the origin of life. Polymerization of amino acids from dilute solution is unlikely without a scaffold or catalyst. The surfaces of early Earth minerals are the most likely candidates for this role. The surface adsorption behavior of 12 amino acids (L-alanine, L-serine, L-aspartic acid, L-proline, L- phenylalanine, L-valine, L-arginine, d-amino valeric acid, glycine, L-lysine, L-isoleucine, and B-alanine) on 21 minerals (quartz, calcite, enstatite, illite, olivine, pyrrhotite, pyrite, alkali basalt, albite, analcime, chlorite, barite, hydroxyl apatite, hematite, magnetite, aluminum hydroxide, kaolin, silica gel, corundum, rutile, and montmorillonite) was determined via batch adsorption experiments. Absorption was determined for concentrations between 10-4M and 10-6M in the presence of 0.1M NaCl, and between pH values of 3 and 9 at 25 degrees C. The equilibrated solutions were centrifuged, filtered, derivatized using a fluorescent amino group tag (dansyl-chloride) and analyzed by HPLC. Adsorption was standardized using BET surface area measurements for each mineral to give the number of mols of each amino acid adsorbed per square meter for each mineral. The results indicate an enormous difference in the adsorption of amino acids between minerals, along with major differences in the adsorption of individual amino acids on the same mineral surface. There is also a change in the absorbance of amino acids as the pH changes. Many previous studies of amino acid concentration and catalysis by minerals have used clay minerals because of their high surface areas, however, this data suggests that the surfaces of minerals such as calcite, quartz and pyrite have even higher affinities for amino acids. The results suggest mineral surfaces that could be optimal locations for the polymerization of molecules linked to the origin of life.

Amino Acid Availability Modulates Vacuolar H+-ATPase Assembly*

Science.gov (United States)

Stransky, Laura A.; Forgac, Michael

2015-01-01

The vacuolar H+-ATPase (V-ATPase) is an ATP-dependent proton pump composed of a peripheral ATPase domain (V1) and a membrane-integral proton-translocating domain (V0) and is involved in many normal and disease processes. An important mechanism of regulating V-ATPase activity is reversible assembly of the V1 and V0 domains. Increased assembly in mammalian cells occurs under various conditions and has been shown to involve PI3K. The V-ATPase is necessary for amino acid-induced activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which is important in controlling cell growth in response to nutrient availability and growth signals. The V-ATPase undergoes amino acid-dependent interactions with the Ragulator complex, which is involved in recruitment of mTORC1 to the lysosomal membrane during amino acid sensing. We hypothesized that changes in the V-ATPase/Ragulator interaction might involve amino acid-dependent changes in V-ATPase assembly. To test this, we measured V-ATPase assembly by cell fractionation in HEK293T cells treated with and without amino acids. V-ATPase assembly increases upon amino acid starvation, and this effect is reversed upon readdition of amino acids. Lysosomes from amino acid-starved cells possess greater V-ATPase-dependent proton transport, indicating that assembled pumps are catalytically active. Amino acid-dependent changes in both V-ATPase assembly and activity are independent of PI3K and mTORC1 activity, indicating the involvement of signaling pathways distinct from those implicated previously in controlling assembly. By contrast, lysosomal neutralization blocks the amino acid-dependent change in assembly and reactivation of mTORC1 after amino acid starvation. These results identify an important new stimulus for controlling V-ATPase assembly. PMID:26378229

Recommended ingestion of indispensable amino acids to young men . A study using stable isotopes, plasmatic amino acids and nitrogen balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchini, J.S.

1992-01-01

It has been previously stated that the minimum physiological recommendations for the indispensable amino acids in health adults, as proposed by FAO/WHO/UNU in 1985, are far too low, except for the methionine. An amino acid stable isotopic kinetic study was conducted to seek further experimental support to this hypothesis. Twenty healthy young men received an l-amino acid based diet, supplying 140 mg N.kg -1 .d -1 , patterned on egg protein for 1 week, then for 3 weeks either i) a pattern based on current international recommendations (FAO diet, n=7), ii) a the tentative Laboratory of Human Nutrition of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, new amino acid recommendation pattern (MIT diet, n=7) or iii) again the egg hen pattern (EGG diet, n=6). All subjects were again studied for one final, consecutive week of the egg diet. At the end of the initial week, at the first and third week with the three experimental diets,and after three days following the return of the egg diet, an 8 h primed continuous intravenous infusion with l- 13 C-leucine was conducted (3 h, fast, 5 h fed - while subjects received hourly meals supplying the equivalent of 5/12 total daily intake). Estimation of leucine balance were carried out with measurements plasma free amino acids changes. Daily nitrogen balances were obtained through the study. Interpretation of plasma amino acids profile, and changes of leucine kinetics balances, indicated that the FAO diet was not able to maintain amino acids homeostasis whereas the MIT and the egg diets sustained body amino acids equilibrium with a positive amino acid balance. nitrogen balances tended to be more negative with the FAO diet but failed to show statistically significant differences among the three diets. The finding point out that it would be prudent to use the new, tentative recommended amino acid pattern (MIT diet 0 as the minimum physiological amino acid needs of healthy human adults (author)

Microstructures of the Sulfonic Acid-Functionalized Ionic Liquid/Sulfuric Acid and Their Interactions: A Perspective from the Isobutane Alkylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Weizhong; Huang, Chizhou; Sun, Weizhen; Zhao, Ling

2018-02-01

The all-atom force field for concentrated sulfuric acid (98.30 wt %) was developed in this work based on ab initio calculations. The structural and dynamical properties of sulfuric acid and the mixing behaviors of sulfuric acid with ionic liquids (ILs), i.e., SFIL (1-methyl-3-(propyl-3-sulfonate) imidazolium bisulfate ([PSMim][HSO 4 ])) and non-SFIL (1-methyl-3-propyl imidazolium bisulfate ([PMim][HSO 4 ])), were investigated using a molecular dynamics simulation. For sulfuric acid, most H 3 O + ions were found beside HSO 4 - ions, forming a contact ion pair with the HSO 4 - ions, and three-dimensional hydrogen-bonding networks existed in the sulfuric acid. Analyses indicate that both ILs could be miscible with sulfuric acid with a strong exothermic character. The new strong interaction site between the sulfonic acid group of SFIL and an H 2 SO 4 molecule through a strong hydrogen-bonding interaction was observed, which was beneficial to the catalytic activity and stability of the sulfuric acid. This observation is in good agreement with the experimental results that indicate SFILs could enhance the reusability of sulfuric acid for the isobutane alkylation about 4-fold compared to that of non-SFILs. Hopefully this work will provide insights into the screening and designing of new isobutane alkylation catalysts based on sulfuric acid and SFILs.

Side Chain Cyclized Aromatic Amino Acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Van der Poorten, Olivier; Knuhtsen, Astrid; Sejer Pedersen, Daniel

2016-01-01

Constraining the conformation of flexible peptides is a proven strategy to increase potency, selectivity, and metabolic stability. The focus has mostly been on constraining the backbone dihedral angles; however, the correct orientation of the amino acid side chains (χ-space) that constitute...... the peptide pharmacophore is equally important. Control of χ-space utilizes conformationally constrained amino acids that favor, disfavor, or exclude the gauche (-), the gauche (+), or the trans conformation. In this review we focus on cyclic aromatic amino acids in which the side chain is connected...... to the peptide backbone to provide control of χ(1)- and χ(2)-space. The manifold applications for cyclized analogues of the aromatic amino acids Phe, Tyr, Trp, and His within peptide medicinal chemistry are showcased herein with examples of enzyme inhibitors and ligands for G protein-coupled receptors....

Amino acids in the cultivation of mammalian cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Salazar, Andrew; Keusgen, Michael; von Hagen, Jörg

2016-05-01

Amino acids are crucial for the cultivation of mammalian cells. This importance of amino acids was realized soon after the development of the first cell lines, and a solution of a mixture of amino acids has been supplied to cultured cells ever since. The importance of amino acids is further pronounced in chemically defined mammalian cell culture media, making the consideration of their biological and chemical properties necessary. Amino acids concentrations have been traditionally adjusted to their cellular consumption rates. However, since changes in the metabolic equilibrium of amino acids can be caused by changes in extracellular concentrations, metabolomics in conjunction with flux balance analysis is being used in the development of culture media. The study of amino acid transporters is also gaining importance since they control the intracellular concentrations of these molecules and are influenced by conditions in cell culture media. A better understanding of the solubility, stability, dissolution kinetics, and interactions of these molecules is needed for an exploitation of these properties in the development of dry powdered chemically defined media for mammalian cells. Due to the complexity of these mixtures however, this has proven to be challenging. Studying amino acids in mammalian cell culture media will help provide a better understanding of how mammalian cells in culture interact with their environment. It would also provide insight into the chemical behavior of these molecules in solutions of complex mixtures, which is important in the understanding of the contribution of individual amino acids to protein structure.

Regulatory effect of amino acids on the pasting behavior of potato starch is attributable to its binding to the starch chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Azusa; Hattori, Makoto; Yoshida, Tadashi; Watanabe, Ayako; Sato, Ryoichi; Takahashi, Koji

2006-12-27

The binding of an amino acid, glycine (Gly), alanine (Ala), epsilon-aminocaproic acid (-AC), monosodium glutamate (GluNa), or lysine (Lys), to starch was examined by a biomolecular interaction analyzer (IAsys). A starch sample (ATS) hydrolyzed to an extent of 1% hydrolysis rate with 15% sulfuric acid was used as a model starch for the binding examination. The reducing end of ATS was oxidized by the Somogyi reagent, and the conversion of the reducing end to the carboxyl group of ATS was confirmed by a carboxylic acid fluorescence labeling reagent. The oxidized ATS was immobilized to the amino group of a sensor cuvette by using water-soluble carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide through an amide bond. The IAsys examination showed that Gly, Ala, and epsilon-AC scarcely bound to the immobilized starch chains but that GluNa and Lys favorably bound with their increasing concentrations. The relative binding index (RBI) of each amino acid was defined by the ratio of the slope of the linear regression equation between the binding response and the concentration for each amino acid to that for Gly. Because the relationships between the RBI and the pasting characteristics (pasting temperature, peak viscosity, breakdown, and swelling index) could each be expressed by a linear regression equation with a high correlation coefficient, it is concluded that the regulation of the pasting behavior of starch with an amino acid is caused by binding of the amino acid to the starch chains.

Distribution, industrial applications, and enzymatic synthesis of D-amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Xiuzhen; Ma, Qinyuan; Zhu, Hailiang

2015-04-01

D-Amino acids exist widely in microbes, plants, animals, and food and can be applied in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics. Because of their widespread applications in industry, D-amino acids have recently received more and more attention. Enzymes including D-hydantoinase, N-acyl-D-amino acid amidohydrolase, D-amino acid amidase, D-aminopeptidase, D-peptidase, L-amino acid oxidase, D-amino acid aminotransferase, and D-amino acid dehydrogenase can be used for D-amino acids synthesis by kinetic resolution or asymmetric amination. In this review, the distribution, industrial applications, and enzymatic synthesis methods are summarized. And, among all the current enzymatic methods, D-amino acid dehydrogenase method not only produces D-amino acid by a one-step reaction but also takes environment and atom economics into consideration; therefore, it is deserved to be paid more attention.

Postprandial fate of amino acids: adaptation to molecular forms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nolles, J.A.

2006-01-01

During the postprandial phase dietary proteins are digested to peptides and amino acids and absorbed. Once absorbed the peptides are further hydrolyzed to amino acids and transported to the tissues. These amino acids are largely incorporated into body proteins. Not all amino acids are, however,

Safety measures for integrity test apparatus for IS process. Sulfuric acid decomposition section

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noguchi, Hiroki; Kubo, Shinji; Iwatsuki, Jin; Onuki, Kaoru

2013-07-01

Hazardous substances such as sulfuric acid, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen iodide acid are employed in thermochemical Iodine-Sulfur (IS) process. It is necessary to take safety measure against workers and external environments to study experimentally on IS process. Presently we have been conducting to verify the soundness of main components made of engineering material in actual corrosive condition. An integrity test apparatus for the components of sulfuric acid decomposition was set up. We will use the hazardous substances such as sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide and perform the experiment in pressurized condition in this integrity test. Safety measures for the test apparatus, operation and abnormal situation were considered prior to starting the test. This report summarized the consideration results for the safety measures on the integrity test apparatus for the components of sulfuric acid decomposition. (author)

Amino acids transport in lactic streptococci

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Driessen, Arnold Jacob Mathieu

1987-01-01

Lactic streptococci are extremely fastidious bacteria. For growth an exogenous source of amino acids and other nutrients is essential. The amino acid requirement in milk is fulfilled by the milk-protein casein, which is degraded by sequential hydrolysis, involving proteases and peptidases. ... Zie:

Stereoselective synthesis of stable-isotope-labeled amino acids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Unkefer, C.J.; Martinez, R.A.; Silks, L.A. III [Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States); Lodwig, S.N. [Centralia College, WA (United States)

1994-12-01

For magnetic resonance and vibrational spectroscopies to reach their full potential, they must be used in combination with sophisticated site-specific stable isotope labeling of biological macromolecules. Labeled amino acids are required for the study of the structure and function of enzymes and proteins. Because there are 20 common amino acids, each with its own distinguishing chemistry, they remain a synthetic challenge. The Oppolzer chiral auxiliary provides a general tool with which to approach the synthesis of labeled amino acids. By using the Oppolzer auxiliary, amino acids can be constructed from several small molecules, which is ideal for stable isotope labeling. In addition to directing the stereochemistry at the {alpha}-carbon, the camphorsultam can be used for stereo-specific isotope labeling at prochiral centers in amino acids. By using the camphorsultam auxiliary we have the potential to synthesize virtually any isotopomer of all of the common amino acids.

Stereoselective synthesis of stable-isotope-labeled amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unkefer, C.J.; Martinez, R.A.; Silks, L.A. III; Lodwig, S.N.

1994-01-01

For magnetic resonance and vibrational spectroscopies to reach their full potential, they must be used in combination with sophisticated site-specific stable isotope labeling of biological macromolecules. Labeled amino acids are required for the study of the structure and function of enzymes and proteins. Because there are 20 common amino acids, each with its own distinguishing chemistry, they remain a synthetic challenge. The Oppolzer chiral auxiliary provides a general tool with which to approach the synthesis of labeled amino acids. By using the Oppolzer auxiliary, amino acids can be constructed from several small molecules, which is ideal for stable isotope labeling. In addition to directing the stereochemistry at the α-carbon, the camphorsultam can be used for stereo-specific isotope labeling at prochiral centers in amino acids. By using the camphorsultam auxiliary we have the potential to synthesize virtually any isotopomer of all of the common amino acids

Lipidization of Simple and di-Functional Amino Acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zainab Idris; Mohd Wahid Samsudin; Salmiah Ahmad

2013-01-01

This paper discuss the modification of azelaic acid into its applicable form by attachment of both its carboxyl sites to N-terminal of amino acid ethyl ester forming amide linkages in anhydrous medium. Acylation of glycine ethyl ester hydrochloride with azelaic acid dichloride was best conducted in a 100 % anhydrous medium. L-amino acid ethyl ester bearing a primary hydroxyl group on its side chain gave mixtures of product and variation in composition depending on the mole ratio of reactants used. Reduction in purity was also observed for L-amino acid ethyl ester with primary -SH group on its side chain as compared to L-amino acid ethyl ester having -SCH 3 group on the L-amino acid side chain. The diamidoester of azelaic acid with L-alanine ethyl ester, L-valine ethyl ester, L-leucine ethyl ester and L-glutamic acid diethyl ester were in good yield when prepared through the modified Schotten-Baumann reaction conditions. (author)

Quantitative amino acid profiling and stable isotopically labeled amino acid tracer enrichment used for in vivo human systemic and tissue kinetics measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bornø, Andreas; van Hall, Gerrit

2014-01-01

An important area within clinical functional metabolomics is in vivo amino acid metabolism and protein turnover measurements for which accurate amino acid concentrations and stable isotopically labeled amino acid enrichments are mandatory not the least when tissue metabolomics is determined....... The present study describes a new sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry method quantifying 20 amino acids and their tracer(s) ([ring-(13)C6]/D5Phenylalanine) in human plasma and skeletal muscle specimens. Before analysis amino acids were extracted and purified via deprotonization....../ion exchange, derivatized using a phenylisothiocyanate reagent and each amino acid was quantitated with its own stable isotopically labeled internal standard (uniformly labeled-(13)C/(15)N). The method was validated according to general recommendations for chromatographic analytical methods. The calibration...

Amino acid regulation of autophagosome formation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijer, Alfred J.

2008-01-01

Amino acids are not only substrates for various metabolic pathways, but can also serve as signaling molecules controlling signal transduction pathways. One of these signaling pathways is mTOR-dependent and is activated by amino acids (leucine in particular) in synergy with insulin. Activation of

AMINO ACIDS APPLICATION TO CREATE OF NANOSTRUCTURES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. S. Chekman

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Review is devoted to the amino acids that could be used for nanostructures creation. The investigation of corresponding properties of amino acids is essential for their role definition in creation of nanomedicines. However, amino acid studying as components of nanostructures is insufficient. Study of nanoparticles for medicines creation was initiated by the development of nanotechnology. Amino acids in complexes with the nanoparticles of organic and inorganic nature play an important role for medicines targeting in pathological process. They could reduce toxicity of the nanomaterials used in nanomedicine and are used for creation of biosensors, lab-on-chip and therefore they are a promising material for synthesis of new nanodrugs and diagnostic tools.

The Origin of Amino Acids in Lunar Regolith Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Jamie E.; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Glavin, Daniel P.; McLain, Hannah L.; Noble, Sarah K.; Gibson, Everett K., Jr.

2016-01-01

We analyzed the amino acid content of seven lunar regolith samples returned by the Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 missions and stored under NASA curation since collection using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Consistent with results from initial analyses shortly after collection in the 1970s, we observed amino acids at low concentrations in all of the curated samples, ranging from 0.2 parts-per-billion (ppb) to 42.7 ppb in hot-water extracts and 14.5 ppb to 651.1 ppb in 6M HCl acid-vapor-hydrolyzed, hot-water extracts. Amino acids identified in the Apollo soil extracts include glycine, D- and L-alanine, D- and L-aspartic acid, D- and L-glutamic acid, D- and L-serine, L-threonine, and L-valine, all of which had previously been detected in lunar samples, as well as several compounds not previously identified in lunar regoliths: -aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), D-and L-amino-n-butyric acid (-ABA), DL-amino-n-butyric acid, -amino-n-butyric acid, -alanine, and -amino-n-caproic acid. We observed an excess of the L enantiomer in most of the detected proteinogenic amino acids, but racemic alanine and racemic -ABA were present in some samples.

Contribution to the study of sulfur trioxide formation and determination of the sulfuric acid dew point in boiler plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, H.

1983-11-01

This paper analyzes chemical reaction kinetics of the formation of sulfur trioxide and sulfuric acid in combustion air and flue gas of steam generators. Formulae for sulfuric acid equilibrium reactions according to Wahnschaffe (W. Grimm, 1972) and R. Hasse, H.W. Borgmann (1962) are presented. Theoretical acid dew point, combustion parameters with influence on the dew point temperature and formation of sulfates are further discussed. Sulfur trioxide formation at temperatures above 1,000 C as a non-equilibrium reaction is outlined as another variant of chemical reactions. A graphic evaluation is made of dew point conditions in brown coal dust fired, and heating oil fired steam generators. (11 refs.)

Crystalline amino acids and nitrogen emission

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verstegen, M.W.A.; Jongbloed, A.W.

2003-01-01

Reductions in dietary protein level and supplementation with certain crystalline amino acids is a well-established method of formulating diets to achieve a more ideal amino acid pattern and to reduce nitrogen excretion. Up to 35% reduction in nitrogen excretion may be achieved by supplementing pig

21 CFR 172.320 - Amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Special Dietary and Nutritional Additives § 172.320 Amino acids. The food additive amino acids may be safely used...

Effects of squat exercise and branched-chain amino acid supplementation on plasma free amino acid concentrations in young women.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimomura, Yoshiharu; Kobayashi, Hisamine; Mawatari, Kazunori; Akita, Keiichi; Inaguma, Asami; Watanabe, Satoko; Bajotto, Gustavo; Sato, Juichi

2009-06-01

The present study was conducted to examine alterations in plasma free amino acid concentrations induced by squat exercise and branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation in young, untrained female subjects. In the morning on the exercise session day, participants ingested drinks containing either BCAA (isoleucine:leucine:valine=1:2.3:1.2) or dextrin (placebo) at 0.1 g/kg body weight 15 min before a squat exercise session, which consisted of 7 sets of 20 squats, with 3 min intervals between sets. In the placebo trial, plasma BCAA concentrations were decreased subsequent to exercise, whereas they were significantly increased in the BCAA trial until 2 h after exercise. Marked changes in other free amino acids in response to squat exercise and BCAA supplementation were observed. In particular, plasma concentrations of methionine and aromatic amino acids were temporarily decreased in the BCAA trial, being significantly lower than those in the placebo trial. These results suggest that BCAA intake before exercise affects methionine and aromatic amino acid metabolism.

Bidirectional Interaction of Alanine with Sulfuric Acid in the Presence of Water and the Atmospheric Implication.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chun-Yu; Ma, Yan; Chen, Jiao; Jiang, Shuai; Liu, Yi-Rong; Wen, Hui; Feng, Ya-Juan; Hong, Yu; Huang, Teng; Huang, Wei

2016-04-21

Amino acids are recognized as important components of atmospheric aerosols, which impact on the Earth's climate directly and indirectly. However, much remains unknown about the initial events of nucleation. In this work, the interaction of alanine [NH2CH(CH3)COOH or Ala], one of the most abundant amino acids in the atmosphere, with sulfuric acid (SA) and water (W) has been investigated at the M06-2X/6-311++G(3df, 3pd) level of theory. We have studied thermodynamics of the hydrated (Ala)(SA) core system with up to four water molecules. We found that Ala, with one amino group and one carboxyl group, can interact with H2SO4 and H2O in two directions and that it has a high cluster stabilizing effect similar to that of ammonia, which is one of the key nucleation precursor. The corresponding Gibbs free energies of the (Ala)(SA)(W)n (n = 0-4) clusters formation at 298.15 K predicted that Ala can contribute to the stabilization of small binary clusters. Our results showed that the hydrate distribution is temperature-dependent and that a higher humidity and temperature can contribute to the formation of hydrated clusters.

Identification of a novel amino acid racemase from a hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3 induced by D-amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawakami, Ryushi; Ohmori, Taketo; Sakuraba, Haruhiko; Ohshima, Toshihisa

2015-08-01

To date, there have been few reports analyzing the amino acid requirement for growth of hyperthermophilic archaea. We here found that the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT-3 requires Thr, Leu, Val, Phe, Tyr, Trp, His and Arg in the medium for growth, and shows slow growth in medium lacking Met or Ile. This largely corresponds to the presence, or absence, of genes related to amino acid biosynthesis in its genome, though there are exceptions. The amino acid requirements were dramatically lost by addition of D-isomers of Met, Leu, Val, allo-Ile, Phe, Tyr, Trp and Arg. Tracer analysis using (14)C-labeled D-Trp showed that D-Trp in the medium was used as a protein component in the cells, suggesting the presence of D-amino acid metabolic enzymes. Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent racemase activity toward Met, Leu and Phe was detected in crude extract of P. horikoshii and was enhanced in cells grown in the medium supplemented with D-amino acids, especially D-allo-Ile. The gene encoding the racemase was narrowed down to one open reading frame on the basis of enzyme purification from P. horikoshii cells, and the recombinant enzyme exhibited PLP-dependent racemase activity toward several amino acids, including Met, Leu and Phe, but not Pro, Asp or Glu. This is the first report showing the presence in a hyperthermophilic archaeon of a PLP-dependent amino acid racemase with broad substrate specificity that is likely responsible for utilization of D-amino acids for growth.

Optimal sulfur amino acid to lysine ratio for post weaning piglets reared under clean or unclean sanitary conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roselyn Kahindi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Two 14-day experiments, each with 90 (Duroc × [Yorkshire × Landrace]; 7.3 ± 0.6 kg piglets, were conducted to determine the optimum sulfur amino acid (SAA to lysine (Lys ratio (SAA:Lys for piglets when reared under clean or unclean sanitary conditions using performance and non-performance response criteria. Piglets were randomly assigned to the following dietary treatments. The basal diet contained 1.18% standardized ileal digestible (SID Lys, and the SAA:Lys was 52%. In diets 2 to 5, the basal diet was supplemented with 4 graded levels of dl-Met to make SAA:Lys of 56%, 60%, 64% and 68%. In Exp. 1, piglets were housed in disinfected clean room. In Exp. 2, piglets were housed in a room previously occupied by other pigs and was not disinfected. On the last day, blood was collected to measure plasma urea nitrogen (PUN and one pig per pen was euthanized to collect jejunal tissue to measure villus height (VH, crypt depth (CD, and VH:CD. In Exp. 1, increasing SAA:Lys linearly and quadratically increased VH and VH:CD (P < 0.05. In Exp. 2, increasing SAA:Lys linearly increased (P < 0.05 VH and VH:CD and linearly and quadratically decreased PUN (P < 0.05. Estimated PUN and VH-based optimum SAA:Lys requirements for clean and unclean sanitary condition were 60%, 63% and 66%, respectively.

Synergy effect of naphthenic acid corrosion and sulfur corrosion in crude oil distillation unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, B.S., E-mail: yinwenfeng2010@163.com [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Sichuan, Chengdu, 610500 (China); Yin, W.F. [College of Mechatronic Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Sichuan, Chengdu, 610500 (China); Sang, D.H. [Sheng Li Construction Group International Engineering Department, Shandong, Dongying, 257000 (China); Jiang, Z.Y. [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Sichuan, Chengdu, 610500 (China)

2012-10-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The corrosion of a carbon-manganese steel and a stainless steel in sulfur and/or naphthenic acid media was investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The corrosion rate of the carbon-manganese steel increased with the increase of the acid value and sulfur content. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The critical values of the concentration of sulfur and acid for corrosion rate of the stainless steel were ascertained respectively. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The stainless steel is superior to the carbon-manganese steel in corrosion resistance because of the presence of stable Cr{sub 5}S{sub 8} phases. - Abstract: The synergy effect of naphthenic acid corrosion and sulfur corrosion at high temperature in crude oil distillation unit was studied using Q235 carbon-manganese steel and 316 stainless steel. The corrosion of Q235 and 316 in corrosion media containing sulfur and/or naphthenic acid at 280 Degree-Sign C was investigated by weight loss, scanning electron microscope (SEM), EDS and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis. The results showed that in corrosion media containing only sulfur, the corrosion rate of Q235 and 316 first increased and then decreased with the increase of sulfur content. In corrosion media containing naphthenic acid and sulfur, with the variations of acid value or sulfur content, the synergy effect of naphthenic acid corrosion and sulfur corrosion has a great influence on the corrosion rate of Q235 and 316. It was indicated that the sulfur accelerated naphthenic acid corrosion below a certain sulfur content but prevented naphthenic acid corrosion above that. The corrosion products on two steels after exposure to corrosion media were investigated. The stable Cr{sub 5}S{sub 8} phases detected in the corrosion products film of 316 were considered as the reason why 316 has greater corrosion resistance to that of Q235.

Amino Acid Permeases and Virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin Felipe Cruz Martho

Full Text Available Fungal opportunistic pathogens colonize various environments, from plants and wood to human and animal tissue. Regarding human pathogens, one great challenge during contrasting niche occupation is the adaptation to different conditions, such as temperature, osmolarity, salinity, pressure, oxidative stress and nutritional availability, which may constitute sources of stress that need to be tolerated and overcome. As an opportunistic pathogen, C. neoformans faces exactly these situations during the transition from the environment to the human host, encountering nutritional constraints. Our previous and current research on amino acid biosynthetic pathways indicates that amino acid permeases are regulated by the presence of the amino acids, nitrogen and temperature. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans have twenty-four and twenty-seven genes encoding amino acid permeases, respectively; conversely, they are scarce in number in Basidiomycetes (C. neoformans, Coprinopsis cinerea and Ustilago maydis, where nine to ten permease genes can be found depending on the species. In this study, we have demonstrated that two amino acid permeases are essential for virulence in C. neoformans. Our data showed that C. neoformans uses two global and redundant amino acid permeases, Aap4 and Aap5 to respond correctly to thermal and oxidative stress. Double deletion of these permeases causes growth arrest in C. neoformans at 37°C and in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The inability to uptake amino acid at a higher temperature and under oxidative stress also led to virulence attenuation in vivo. Our data showed that thermosensitivity caused by the lack of permeases Aap4 and Aap5 can be remedied by alkaline conditions (higher pH and salinity. Permeases Aap4 and Aap5 are also required during fluconazole stress and they are the target of the plant secondary metabolite eugenol, a potent antifungal inhibitor that targets amino acid permeases. In summary, our work

Neutron cross-sections database for amino acids and proteins analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voi, Dante L.; Ferreira, Francisco de O.; Nunes, Rogerio Chaffin, E-mail: dante@ien.gov.br, E-mail: fferreira@ien.gov.br, E-mail: Chaffin@ien.gov.br [Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (IEN/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Rocha, Helio F. da, E-mail: hrocha@gbl.com.br [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IPPMG/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Instituto de Pediatria

2015-07-01

Biological materials may be studied using neutrons as an unconventional tool of analysis. Dynamics and structures data can be obtained for amino acids, protein and others cellular components by neutron cross sections determinations especially for applications in nuclear purity and conformation analysis. The instrument used for this is the crystal spectrometer of the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (IEN-CNEN-RJ), the only one in Latin America that uses neutrons for this type of analyzes and it is installed in one of the reactor Argonauta irradiation channels. The experimentally values obtained are compared with calculated values using literature data with a rigorous analysis of the chemical composition, conformation and molecular structure analysis of the materials. A neutron cross-section database was constructed to assist in determining molecular dynamic, structure and formulae of biological materials. The database contains neutron cross-sections values of all amino acids, chemical elements, molecular groups, auxiliary radicals, as well as values of constants and parameters necessary for the analysis. An unprecedented analytical procedure was developed using the neutron cross section parceling and grouping method for data manipulation. This database is a result of measurements obtained from twenty amino acids that were provided by different manufactories and are used in oral administration in hospital individuals for nutritional applications. It was also constructed a small data file of compounds with different molecular groups including carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen, all linked to hydrogen atoms. A review of global and national scene in the acquisition of neutron cross sections data, the formation of libraries and the application of neutrons for analyzing biological materials is presented. This database has further application in protein analysis and the neutron cross-section from the insulin was estimated. (author)

Neutron cross-sections database for amino acids and proteins analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voi, Dante L.; Ferreira, Francisco de O.; Nunes, Rogerio Chaffin; Rocha, Helio F. da

2015-01-01

Biological materials may be studied using neutrons as an unconventional tool of analysis. Dynamics and structures data can be obtained for amino acids, protein and others cellular components by neutron cross sections determinations especially for applications in nuclear purity and conformation analysis. The instrument used for this is the crystal spectrometer of the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (IEN-CNEN-RJ), the only one in Latin America that uses neutrons for this type of analyzes and it is installed in one of the reactor Argonauta irradiation channels. The experimentally values obtained are compared with calculated values using literature data with a rigorous analysis of the chemical composition, conformation and molecular structure analysis of the materials. A neutron cross-section database was constructed to assist in determining molecular dynamic, structure and formulae of biological materials. The database contains neutron cross-sections values of all amino acids, chemical elements, molecular groups, auxiliary radicals, as well as values of constants and parameters necessary for the analysis. An unprecedented analytical procedure was developed using the neutron cross section parceling and grouping method for data manipulation. This database is a result of measurements obtained from twenty amino acids that were provided by different manufactories and are used in oral administration in hospital individuals for nutritional applications. It was also constructed a small data file of compounds with different molecular groups including carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen, all linked to hydrogen atoms. A review of global and national scene in the acquisition of neutron cross sections data, the formation of libraries and the application of neutrons for analyzing biological materials is presented. This database has further application in protein analysis and the neutron cross-section from the insulin was estimated. (author)

Absorption of proteins and amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeejeebhoy, K.N.

1976-01-01

Although the absorption of proteins and amino acids is an important issue in nutrition, its measurement is not common because of the methodological difficulties. Complications are attributable in particular to the magnitude of endogenous protein secretion and to the diversity of absorption mechanisms for amino acids either as individual units or as peptides. Methods for studying absorption include balance techniques, tolerance tests, tracer techniques using proteins or amino acids labelled with 131 I, 3 H, or 15 N, intestinal perfusion studies, and others; they must be selected according to the nature of the information sought. Improvements over the current methods would be useful. (author)

Electron-induced chemistry in microhydrated sulfuric acid clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Lengyel, Jozef; Pysanenko, Andriy; Fárník, Michal

2017-11-01

We investigate the mixed sulfuric acid-water clusters in a molecular beam experiment with electron attachment and negative ion mass spectrometry and complement the experiment by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The microhydration of (H2SO4)m(H2O)n clusters is controlled by the expansion conditions, and the electron attachment yields the main cluster ion series (H2SO4)m(H2O)nHSO4- and (H2O)nH2SO4-. The mass spectra provide an experimental evidence for the onset of the ionic dissociation of sulfuric acid and ion-pair (HSO4- ṡ ṡ ṡ H3O+) formation in the neutral H2SO4(H2O)n clusters with n ≥ 5 water molecules, in excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions. In the clusters with two sulfuric acid molecules (H2SO4)2(H2O)n this process starts as early as n ≥ 2 water molecules. The (H2SO4)m(H2O)nHSO4- clusters are formed after the dissociative electron attachment to the clusters containing the (HSO4- ṡ ṡ ṡ H3O+) ion-pair structure, which leads to the electron recombination with the H3O+ moiety generating H2O molecule and the H-atom dissociation from the cluster. The (H2O)nH2SO4- cluster ions point to an efficient caging of the H atom by the surrounding water molecules. The electron-energy dependencies exhibit an efficient electron attachment at low electron energies below 3 eV, and no resonances above this energy, for all the measured mass peaks. This shows that in the atmospheric chemistry only the low-energy electrons can be efficiently captured by the sulfuric acid-water clusters and converted into the negative ions. Possible atmospheric consequences of the acidic dissociation in the clusters and the electron attachment to the sulfuric acid-water aerosols are discussed.

The Role of Microbial Amino Acid Metabolism in Host Metabolism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evelien P. J. G. Neis

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Disruptions in gut microbiota composition and function are increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The functional output of the gut microbiota, including short-chain fatty acids and amino acids, are thought to be important modulators underlying the development of these disorders. Gut bacteria can alter the bioavailability of amino acids by utilization of several amino acids originating from both alimentary and endogenous proteins. In turn, gut bacteria also provide amino acids to the host. This could have significant implications in the context of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus, conditions associated with elevated systemic concentrations of certain amino acids, in particular the aromatic and branched-chain amino acids. Moreover, several amino acids released by gut bacteria can serve as precursors for the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids, which also play a role in the development of obesity. In this review, we aim to compile the available evidence on the contribution of microbial amino acids to host amino acid homeostasis, and to assess the role of the gut microbiota as a determinant of amino acid and short-chain fatty acid perturbations in human obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

New Functions and Potential Applications of Amino Acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Uneyama, Hisayuki; Kobayashi, Hisamine; Tonouchi, Naoto

Currently, several types of amino acids are being produced and used worldwide. Nevertheless, several new functions of amino acids have been recently discovered that could result in other applications. For example, oral stimulation by glutamate triggers the cephalic phase response to prepare for food digestion. Further, the stomach and intestines have specific glutamate-recognizing systems in their epithelial mucosa. Regarding clinical applications, addition of monosodium glutamate to the medicinal diet has been shown to markedly enhance gastric secretion in a vagus-dependent manner. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are the major components of muscles, and ingestion of BCAAs has been found to be effective for decreasing muscle pain. BCAAs are expected to be a solution for the serious issue of aging. Further, ingestion of specific amino acids could be beneficial. Glycine can be ingested for good night's sleep: glycine ingestion before bedtime significantly improved subjective sleep quality. Ingestion of alanine and glutamine effectively accelerates alcohol metabolism, and ingestion of cystine and theanine effectively prevents colds. Finally, amino acids could be used in a novel clinical diagnostic method: the balance of amino acids in the blood could be an indicator of the risk of diseases such as cancer. These newly discovered functions of amino acids are expected to contribute to the resolution of various issues.

Wet, Carbonaceous Asteroids: Altering Minerals, Changing Amino Acids

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, G. J.

2011-04-01

Many carbonaceous chondrites contain alteration products from water-rock interactions at low temperature and organic compounds. A fascinating fact known for decades is the presence in some of them of an assortment of organic compounds, including amino acids, sometimes called the building blocks of life. Murchison and other CM carbonaceous chondrites contain hundreds of amino acids. Early measurements indicated that the amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites had equal proportions of L- and D-structures, a situation called racemic. This was in sharp contrast to life on Earth, which heavily favors L- forms. However, beginning in 1997, John Cronin and Sandra Pizzarello (Arizona State University) found L- excesses in isovaline and several other amino acids in the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite. In 2009, Daniel Glavin and Jason Dworkin (Astrobiology Analytical Lab, Goddard Space Flight Center) reported the first independent confirmation of L-isovaline excesses in Murchison using a different analytical technique than employed by Cronin and Pizzarello. Inspired by this work, Daniel Glavin, Michael Callahan, Jason Dworkin, and Jamie Elsila (Astrobiology Analytical Lab, Goddard Space Flight Center), have done an extensive study of the abundance and symmetry of amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites that experienced a range of alteration by water in their parent asteroids. The results show that amino acids are more abundant in the less altered meteorites, implying that aqueous processing changes the mix of amino acids. They also confirmed the enrichment in L-structures of some amino acids, especially isovaline, confirming earlier work. The authors suggest that aqueously-altered planetesimals might have seeded the early Earth with nonracemic amino acids, perhaps explaining why life from microorganisms to people use only L- forms to make proteins. The initial imbalance caused by non-biologic processes in wet asteroids might have been amplified by life on Earth. Alternatively

Amino acid catabolism and generation of volatiles by lactic acid bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavaria, F K; Dahl, S; Carballo, F J; Malcata, F X

2002-10-01

Twelve isolates of lactic acid bacteria, belonging to the Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, and Enterococcus genera, were previously isolated from 180-d-old Serra da Estrela cheese, a traditional Portuguese cheese manufactured from raw milk and coagulated with a plant rennet. These isolates were subsequently tested for their ability to catabolize free amino acids, when incubated independently with each amino acid in free form or with a mixture thereof. Attempts were made in both situations to correlate the rates of free amino acid uptake with the numbers of viable cells. When incubated individually, leucine, valine, glycine, aspartic acid, serine, threonine, lysine, glutamic acid, and alanine were degraded by all strains considered; arginine tended to build up, probably because of transamination of other amino acids. When incubated together, the degradation of free amino acids by each strain was dependent on pH (with an optimum pH around 6.0). The volatiles detected in ripened Serra da Estrela cheese originated mainly from leucine, phenylalanine, alanine, and valine, whereas in vitro they originated mainly from valine, phenylalanine, serine, leucine, alanine, and threonine. The wild strains tested offer a great potential for flavor generation, which might justify their inclusion in a tentative starter/nonstarter culture for that and similar cheeses.

Incretin effect after oral amino Acid ingestion in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindgren, Ola; Pacini, Giovanni; Tura, Andrea

2015-01-01

is also present after amino acid ingestion is not known. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to explore insulin secretion and incretin hormones after oral and iv amino acid administration at matched total amino acid concentrations in healthy subjects. DESIGN: An amino acid mixture (Vaminolac......) was administered orally or iv at a rate resulting in matching total amino acid concentrations to 12 male volunteers with age 22.5 ± 1.4 years and a body mass index 22.4 ± 1.4 kg/m(2), who had no history of diabetes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcome measures were area under the 120-minute curve for insulin, C...... after oral than after iv amino acid challenges (P = .006), whereas there was no significant difference in the glucagon response. Intact and total GIP rose after oral but not after iv amino acid administration, whereas intact and total GLP-1 levels did not change significantly in either test. CONCLUSION...

Extraordinarily Adaptive Properties of the Genetically Encoded Amino Acids

Science.gov (United States)

Ilardo, Melissa; Meringer, Markus; Freeland, Stephen; Rasulev, Bakhtiyor; Cleaves II, H. James

2015-01-01

Using novel advances in computational chemistry, we demonstrate that the set of 20 genetically encoded amino acids, used nearly universally to construct all coded terrestrial proteins, has been highly influenced by natural selection. We defined an adaptive set of amino acids as one whose members thoroughly cover relevant physico-chemical properties, or “chemistry space.” Using this metric, we compared the encoded amino acid alphabet to random sets of amino acids. These random sets were drawn from a computationally generated compound library containing 1913 alternative amino acids that lie within the molecular weight range of the encoded amino acids. Sets that cover chemistry space better than the genetically encoded alphabet are extremely rare and energetically costly. Further analysis of more adaptive sets reveals common features and anomalies, and we explore their implications for synthetic biology. We present these computations as evidence that the set of 20 amino acids found within the standard genetic code is the result of considerable natural selection. The amino acids used for constructing coded proteins may represent a largely global optimum, such that any aqueous biochemistry would use a very similar set. PMID:25802223

Extraordinarily adaptive properties of the genetically encoded amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Ilardo, Melissa; Meringer, Markus; Freeland, Stephen; Rasulev, Bakhtiyor; Cleaves, H James

2015-03-24

Using novel advances in computational chemistry, we demonstrate that the set of 20 genetically encoded amino acids, used nearly universally to construct all coded terrestrial proteins, has been highly influenced by natural selection. We defined an adaptive set of amino acids as one whose members thoroughly cover relevant physico-chemical properties, or "chemistry space." Using this metric, we compared the encoded amino acid alphabet to random sets of amino acids. These random sets were drawn from a computationally generated compound library containing 1913 alternative amino acids that lie within the molecular weight range of the encoded amino acids. Sets that cover chemistry space better than the genetically encoded alphabet are extremely rare and energetically costly. Further analysis of more adaptive sets reveals common features and anomalies, and we explore their implications for synthetic biology. We present these computations as evidence that the set of 20 amino acids found within the standard genetic code is the result of considerable natural selection. The amino acids used for constructing coded proteins may represent a largely global optimum, such that any aqueous biochemistry would use a very similar set.

Adsorption of amino acids by fullerenes and fullerene nanowhiskers

Science.gov (United States)

Hashizume, Hideo; Hirata, Chika; Fujii, Kazuko; Miyazawa, Kun'ichi

2015-12-01

We have investigated the adsorption of some amino acids and an oligopeptide by fullerene (C60) and fullerene nanowhiskers (FNWs). C60 and FNWs hardly adsorbed amino acids. Most of the amino acids used have a hydrophobic side chain. Ala and Val, with an alkyl chain, were not adsorbed by the C60 or FNWs. Trp, Phe and Pro, with a cyclic structure, were not adsorbed by them either. The aromatic group of C60 did not interact with the side chain. The carboxyl or amino group, with the frame structure of an amino acid, has a positive or negative charge in solution. It is likely that the C60 and FNWs would not prefer the charged carboxyl or amino group. Tri-Ala was adsorbed slightly by the C60 and FNWs. The carboxyl or amino group is not close to the center of the methyl group of Tri-Ala. One of the methyl groups in Tri-Ala would interact with the aromatic structure of the C60 and FNWs. We compared our results with the theoretical interaction of 20 bio-amino acids with C60. The theoretical simulations showed the bonding distance between C60 and an amino acid and the dissociation energy. The dissociation energy was shown to increase in the order, Val changed a little by C60. In our study Try and Tyr were hardly adsorbed by C60 and FNWs. These amino acids did not show a different adsorption behavior compared with other amino acids. The adsorptive behavior of mono-amino acids might be different from that of polypeptides.

Composition of amino acid using carbon monoxide. Amide carbonylation reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Izawa, Kunisuke (Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Tokyo (Japan))

1989-02-01

Amide carbonylation reaction is a method to compose N-acyl-{alpha}-amino acid from aldehyde, carboxylic acid amide, and carbon monoxide in a phase and with high yield. Unlike the conventional Strecker reaction, this method does not use HCN which is in question on public pollution and does not require hydrolysis. This amide carbonylation reaction was discovered by Wakamatsu and others of Ajinomoto Co.,Ltd. Present application examples of this method are the composition of N-acetyl amino acid from the aldehyde class, the composition of N-Acyl amino acid from olefin, the composition of N-acyl or acetyl amino acid from the raw material of alcohol and the halide class, the composition of N-acyl or acetyl amino acid via the isomerization of epoxide and allyl alcohol, the composition of amino dicarboxylic acid, applying deoxidation of ring acid anhydride, the composition of N-acyl amino acid from the raw material of the amine class, the stereoselective composition of -substitution ring-{alpha}-amino acid, and the composition of amino aldehyde. 24 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in Ureilites Including Almahata Sitta

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, A. S.; Glavin, D. P.; Callahan, M. P.; Dworkin, J. P.

2011-01-01

Ureilites are a class of meteorites that lack chondrules (achondrites) but have relatively high carbon abundances, averaging approx.3 wt %. Using highly sensitive liquid chromatography coupled with UV fluorescence and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-FD/ToF-MS), it was recently determined that there are amino acids in. fragment 94 of the Almahata Sitta ureilite[l]. Based on the presence of amino acids that are rare in the Earth's biosphere, as well as the near-racemic enantiomeric ratios of marry of the more common amino acids, it was concluded that most of the detected amino acids were indigenous to the meteorite. Although the composition of the Almahata Sitta ureilite appears to be unlike other recovered ureilites, the discovery of amino acids in this meteorite raises the question of whether other ureilites rnav also contain amino acids. Herein we present the results of LC-FDlTo.F-MS analyses of: a sand sample from the Almahata Sitta strewn held, Almahata Sitta fragments 425 (an ordinary H5 chondrite) and 427 (ureilite), as well as an Antarctic ureilite (Allan lulls, ALHA 77257).

Design and cost of the sulfuric acid decomposition reactor for the sulfur based hydrogen processes - HTR2008-58009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, T. Y.; Connolly, S. M.; Lahoda, E. J.; Kriel, W.

2008-01-01

The key interface component between the reactor and chemical systems for the sulfuric acid based processes to make hydrogen is the sulfuric acid decomposition reactor. The materials issues for the decomposition reactor are severe since sulfuric acid must be heated, vaporized and decomposed. SiC has been identified and proven by others to be an acceptable material. However, SiC has a significant design issue when it must be interfaced with metals for connection to the remainder of the process. Westinghouse has developed a design utilizing SiC for the high temperature portions of the reactor that are in contact with the sulfuric acid and polymeric coated steel for low temperature portions. This design is expected to have a reasonable cost for an operating lifetime of 20 years. It can be readily maintained in the field, and is transportable by truck (maximum OD is 4.5 meters). This paper summarizes the detailed engineering design of the Westinghouse Decomposition Reactor and the decomposition reactor's capital cost. (authors)

Ice nucleation in sulfuric acid/organic aerosols: implications for cirrus cloud formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. R. Beaver

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Using an aerosol flow tube apparatus, we have studied the effects of aliphatic aldehydes (C3 to C10 and ketones (C3 and C9 on ice nucleation in sulfuric acid aerosols. Mixed aerosols were prepared by combining an organic vapor flow with a flow of sulfuric acid aerosols over a small mixing time (~60 s at room temperature. No acid-catalyzed reactions were observed under these conditions, and physical uptake was responsible for the organic content of the sulfuric acid aerosols. In these experiments, aerosol organic content, determined by a Mie scattering analysis, was found to vary with the partial pressure of organic, the flow tube temperature, and the identity of the organic compound. The physical properties of the organic compounds (primarily the solubility and melting point were found to play a dominant role in determining the inferred mode of nucleation (homogenous or heterogeneous and the specific freezing temperatures observed. Overall, very soluble, low-melting organics, such as acetone and propanal, caused a decrease in aerosol ice nucleation temperatures when compared with aqueous sulfuric acid aerosol. In contrast, sulfuric acid particles exposed to organic compounds of eight carbons and greater, of much lower solubility and higher melting temperatures, nucleate ice at temperatures above aqueous sulfuric acid aerosols. Organic compounds of intermediate carbon chain length, C4-C7, (of intermediate solubility and melting temperatures nucleated ice at the same temperature as aqueous sulfuric acid aerosols. Interpretations and implications of these results for cirrus cloud formation are discussed.

Synergy effect of naphthenic acid corrosion and sulfur corrosion in crude oil distillation unit

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, B. S.; Yin, W. F.; Sang, D. H.; Jiang, Z. Y.

2012-10-01

The synergy effect of naphthenic acid corrosion and sulfur corrosion at high temperature in crude oil distillation unit was studied using Q235 carbon-manganese steel and 316 stainless steel. The corrosion of Q235 and 316 in corrosion media containing sulfur and/or naphthenic acid at 280 °C was investigated by weight loss, scanning electron microscope (SEM), EDS and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis. The results showed that in corrosion media containing only sulfur, the corrosion rate of Q235 and 316 first increased and then decreased with the increase of sulfur content. In corrosion media containing naphthenic acid and sulfur, with the variations of acid value or sulfur content, the synergy effect of naphthenic acid corrosion and sulfur corrosion has a great influence on the corrosion rate of Q235 and 316. It was indicated that the sulfur accelerated naphthenic acid corrosion below a certain sulfur content but prevented naphthenic acid corrosion above that. The corrosion products on two steels after exposure to corrosion media were investigated. The stable Cr5S8 phases detected in the corrosion products film of 316 were considered as the reason why 316 has greater corrosion resistance to that of Q235.

THE INTERCORRELATION OF THE AMINO ACID QUALITY ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

a

ABSTRACT. Levels of amino acids were determined in the grains of guinea corn, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench ... KEY WORDS: Amino acid quality, Raw, Steeped, Germinated, Guinea corn ..... Health Organization: Geneva; 1999; pp. 101-119.

Amino acid nitrosation products as alkylating agents.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Santos, M del P; Calle, E; Casado, J

2001-08-08

Nitrosation reactions of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-amino acids whose reaction products can act as alkylating agents of DNA were investigated. To approach in vivo conditions for the two-step mechanism (nitrosation and alkylation), nitrosation reactions were carried out in aqueous acid conditions (mimicking the conditions of the stomach lumen) while the alkylating potential of the nitrosation products was investigated at neutral pH, as in the stomach lining cells into which such products can diffuse. These conclusions were drawn: (i) The alkylating species resulting from the nitrosation of amino acids with an -NH(2) group are the corresponding lactones; (ii) the sequence of alkylating power is: alpha-lactones > beta-lactones > gamma-lactones, coming respectively from the nitrosation of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-amino acids; and (iii) the results obtained may be useful in predicting the mutagenic effectiveness of the nitrosation products of amino acids.

Test fabrication of sulfuric acid decomposer applied for thermochemical hydrogen production IS process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noguchi, Hiroki; Terada, Atsuhiko; Kubo, Shinji; Onuki, Kaoru; Hino, Ryutaro; Ota, Hiroyuki

2007-07-01

Thermo-chemical Iodine-Sulfur (IS) process produces large amount of hydrogen effectively without carbon dioxide emission. Since the IS process uses strong acids such as sulfuric acid and hydriodic acid, it is necessary to develop large-scale chemical reactors featuring materials that exhibit excellent heat and corrosion resistance. A sulfuric acid decomposer is one of the key components of the IS process plant, in which sulfuric acid is evaporated and decomposed into water and sulfur trioxide under temperature range from 300degC to 500degC using the heat supplied by high temperature helium gas. The decomposer is exposed to severe corrosion condition of sulfuric acid boiling flow, where only the SiC ceramics shows good corrosion resistance. However, at the current status, it is very difficult to manufacture the large-scale SiC ceramics structure required in the commercial plant. Therefore, we devised a new concept of the decomposer, which featured a counter flow type heat exchanger consisting of cylindrical blocks made of SiC ceramics. Scale up can be realized by connecting the blocks in parallel and/or in series. This paper describes results of the design work and the test-fabrication study of the sulfuric acid decomposer, which was carried out in order to confirm its feasibility. (author)

Accumulation, selection and covariation of amino acids in sieve tube sap of tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) and castor bean (Ricinus communis): evidence for the function of a basic amino acid transporter and the absence of a γ-amino butyric acid transporter.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Susanne N; Nowak, Heike; Keller, Frank; Kallarackal, Jose; Hajirezaei, Mohamad-Reza; Komor, Ewald

2014-09-01

Sieve tube sap was obtained from Tanacetum by aphid stylectomy and from Ricinus after apical bud decapitation. The amino acids in sieve tube sap were analyzed and compared with those from leaves. Arginine and lysine accumulated in the sieve tube sap of Tanacetum more than 10-fold compared to the leaf extracts and they were, together with asparagine and serine, preferably selected into the sieve tube sap, whereas glycine, methionine/tryptophan and γ-amino butyric acid were partially or completely excluded. The two basic amino acids also showed a close covariation in sieve tube sap. The acidic amino acids also grouped together, but antagonistic to the other amino acids. The accumulation ratios between sieve tube sap and leaf extracts were smaller in Ricinus than in Tanacetum. Arginine, histidine, lysine and glutamine were enriched and preferentially loaded into the phloem, together with isoleucine and valine. In contrast, glycine and methionine/tryptophan were partially and γ-amino butyric acid almost completely excluded from sieve tube sap. The covariation analysis grouped arginine together with several neutral amino acids. The acidic amino acids were loaded under competition with neutral amino acids. It is concluded from comparison with the substrate specificities of already characterized plant amino acid transporters, that an AtCAT1-like transporter functions in phloem loading of basic amino acids, whereas a transporter like AtGAT1 is absent in phloem. Although Tanacetum and Ricinus have different minor vein architecture, their phloem loading specificities for amino acids are relatively similar. © 2014 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Decomposition of silica-alumina ores of Afghanistan by sulfuric acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khomidi, A.K.; Mamatov, E.D.

2016-01-01

Present article is devoted to decomposition of silica-alumina ores of Afghanistan by sulfuric acid. Physicochemical properties of initial silica-alumina ores were studied by means of X-ray phase, differential thermal and silicate analysis. The influence of temperature, process duration and acid concentration on extraction rate of valuable components was considered. The optimal conditions of decomposition of silica-alumina ores of Afghanistan by sulfuric acid were proposed.

Comparison of amino acid digestibility of feedstuffs determined with the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay and the standardized ileal amino acid digestibility assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, E J; Utterback, P L; Applegate, T J; Parsons, C M

2011-11-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare amino acid digestibility of several feedstuffs using 2 commonly accepted methods: the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay (PFR) and the standardized ileal amino acid assay (SIAAD). Six corn, 6 corn distillers dried grains with or without solubles (DDGS/DDG), one wet distillers grains, one condensed solubles, 2 meat and bone meal (MBM) and a poultry byproduct meal were evaluated. Due to insufficient amounts, the wet distillers grains and condensed solubles were only evaluated in roosters. Standardized amino acid digestibility varied among the feed ingredients and among samples of the same ingredient for both methods. For corn, there were generally no differences in amino acid digestibility between the 2 methods. When differences did occur, there was no consistent pattern among the individual amino acids and methods. Standardized amino acid digestibility was not different between the 2 methods for 4 of the DDG samples; however, the PFR yielded higher digestibility values for a high protein DDG and a conventionally processed DDGS. The PFR yielded higher amino acid digestibility values than the SIAAD for several amino acids in 1 MBM and the poultry byproduct meal, but it yielded lower digestibility values for the other MBM. Overall, there were no consistent differences between methods for amino acid digestibility values. In conclusion, the PFR and SIAAD methods are acceptable for determining amino acid digestibility. However, these procedures do not always yield similar results for all feedstuffs evaluated. Thus, further studies are needed to understand the underlying causes in this variability.

Supernovae, Neutrinos and the Chirality of Amino Acids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toshitaka Kajino

2011-05-01

Full Text Available A mechanism for creating an enantioenrichment in the amino acids, the building blocks of the proteins, that involves global selection of one handedness by interactions between the amino acids and neutrinos from core-collapse supernovae is defined. The chiral selection involves the dependence of the interaction cross sections on the orientations of the spins of the neutrinos and the 14N nuclei in the amino acids, or in precursor molecules, which in turn couple to the molecular chirality. It also requires an asymmetric distribution of neutrinos emitted from the supernova. The subsequent chemical evolution and galactic mixing would ultimately populate the Galaxy with the selected species. The resulting amino acids could either be the source thereof on Earth, or could have triggered the chirality that was ultimately achieved for Earth’s proteinaceous amino acids.

Adsorption of amino acids by fullerenes and fullerene nanowhiskers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashizume, Hideo; Hirata, Chika; Fujii, Kazuko; Miyazawa, Kun’ichi

2015-01-01

We have investigated the adsorption of some amino acids and an oligopeptide by fullerene (C 60 ) and fullerene nanowhiskers (FNWs). C 60 and FNWs hardly adsorbed amino acids. Most of the amino acids used have a hydrophobic side chain. Ala and Val, with an alkyl chain, were not adsorbed by the C 60 or FNWs. Trp, Phe and Pro, with a cyclic structure, were not adsorbed by them either. The aromatic group of C 60 did not interact with the side chain. The carboxyl or amino group, with the frame structure of an amino acid, has a positive or negative charge in solution. It is likely that the C 60 and FNWs would not prefer the charged carboxyl or amino group. Tri-Ala was adsorbed slightly by the C 60 and FNWs. The carboxyl or amino group is not close to the center of the methyl group of Tri-Ala. One of the methyl groups in Tri-Ala would interact with the aromatic structure of the C 60 and FNWs. We compared our results with the theoretical interaction of 20 bio-amino acids with C 60 . The theoretical simulations showed the bonding distance between C 60 and an amino acid and the dissociation energy. The dissociation energy was shown to increase in the order, Val < Phe < Pro < Asp < Ala < Trp < Tyr < Arg < Leu. However, the simulation was not consistent with our experimental results. The adsorption of albumin (a protein) by C 60 showed the effect on the side chains of Try and Trp. The structure of albumin was changed a little by C 60 . In our study Try and Tyr were hardly adsorbed by C 60 and FNWs. These amino acids did not show a different adsorption behavior compared with other amino acids. The adsorptive behavior of mono-amino acids might be different from that of polypeptides. (paper)

Determination of amino acids in grape-derived products: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Callejón, R M; Troncoso, A M; Morales, M L

2010-06-15

The amino acids present in foods and beverages affect the quality of these products and they play an important role in enology. Amino acids are consumed by yeasts as a source of nitrogen during alcoholic fermentation and are precursors of aroma compounds. In this review various chromatographic methodologies for the determination of amino acids are described, and specific applications for the analysis of amino acid content are discussed. Amino acids usually need to be derivatized to make them more detectable. Several derivatizing reagents have been employed for the determination of amino acids in enological applications, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Sorbic acid interaction with sulfur dioxide in model food systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Namor, O G

1987-01-01

The first chapter deals with the chemistry of sorbic acid and sulfur dioxide. The second chapter describes a study of the degradation products of sorbic acid, in aqueous systems, in the presence of sulfur dioxide and a possible mechanism for the occurrence of these products is proposed. Chapter three deals with the preparation and degradation of 6-(/sup 13/C)sorbic acid in order to find evidence for, or against, the mechanism proposed in chapter two. It also gives details of syntheses attempted in order to obtain 6- (/sup 13/C)sorbic acid. The interaction of sorbic acid and sulfur dioxide in real food systems is the subject of the fourth chapter. The food systems studied were mayonnaise, tomato puree, orange juice and cottage cheese. The effect of packaging on the rate of degradation of sorbic acid was also investigated. The final chapter deals with a microbiological study of two homologues of sorbic acid, 2,4-heptadienoic acid, 2,4-octadienoic acid. The fungicidal activity of these two compounds, towards selected fungi, was analyzed. 4-Oxobut-2-enoic acid, a degradation product of sorbic acid in aqueous systems, was also analyzed as a possible fungistat.

Heavy metal extraction from PCB wastewater treatment sludge by sulfuric acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuan, Yu-Chung; Lee, I-Hsien; Chern, Jia-Ming

2010-01-01

Heavy metals contaminated wastewater sludge is classified as hazardous solid waste and needs to be properly treated to prevent releasing heavy metals to the environment. In this study, the wastewater treatment sludge from a printed circuit board manufacturing plant was treated in a batch reactor by sulfuric acid to remove the contained heavy metals. The effects of sulfuric acid concentration and solid to liquid ratio on the heavy metal removal efficiencies were investigated. The experimental results showed that the total and individual heavy metal removal efficiencies increased with increasing sulfuric acid concentration, but decreased with increasing solid to liquid ratio. A mathematical model was developed to predict the residual sludge weights at varying sulfuric concentrations and solid to liquid ratios. The trivalent heavy metal ions, iron and chromium were more difficult to be removed than the divalent ions, copper, zinc, nickel, and cadmium. For 5 g/L solid to liquid ratio, more than 99.9% of heavy metals can be removed from the sludge by treating with 0.5 M sulfuric acid in 2 h.

Free amino acids and 5'-nucleotides in Finnish forest mushrooms.

Science.gov (United States)

Manninen, Hanna; Rotola-Pukkila, Minna; Aisala, Heikki; Hopia, Anu; Laaksonen, Timo

2018-05-01

Edible mushrooms are valued because of their umami taste and good nutritional values. Free amino acids, 5'-nucleotides and nucleosides were analyzed from four Nordic forest mushroom species (Lactarius camphoratus, Boletus edulis, Cantharellus cibarius, Craterellus tubaeformis) using high precision liquid chromatography analysis. To our knowledge, these taste components were studied for the first time from Craterellus tubaeformis and Lactarius camphoratus. The focus was on the umami amino acids and 5'-nucleotides. The free amino acid and 5'-nucleotide/nucleoside contents of studied species differed from each other. In all studied samples, umami amino acids were among five major free amino acids. The highest concentration of umami amino acids was on L. camphoratus whereas B. edulis had the highest content of sweet amino acids and C. cibarius had the highest content of bitter amino acids. The content of umami enhancing 5'-nucleotides were low in all studied species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Studies on interaction of acid-treated nanotube titanic acid and amino acids].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Huqin; Chen, Xuemei; Jin, Zhensheng; Liao, Guangxi; Wu, Xiaoming; Du, Jianqiang; Cao, Xiang

2010-06-01

Nanotube titanic acid (NTA) has distinct optical and electrical character, and has photocatalysis character. In accordance with these qualities, NTA was treated with acid so as to enhance its surface activity. Surface structures and surface groups of acid-treated NTA were characterized and analyzed by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR). The interaction between acid-treated NTA and amino acids was investigated. Analysis results showed that the lengths of acid-treated NTA became obviously shorter. The diameters of nanotube bundles did not change obviously with acid-treating. Meanwhile, the surface of acid-treated NTA was cross-linked with carboxyl or esterfunction. In addition, acid-treated NTA can catch amino acid residues easily, and then form close combination.

Azide- and alkyne-derivatised α-amino acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansson, Karl Henrik; Pedersen, D.S.

2012-01-01

With the emergence of the copper-catalysed Huisgen cycloaddition the use of azide- and alkyne-derivatised α-amino acids has found widespread use within most chemistry disciplines. Despite a growing interest in these building blocks researchers are struggling to identify the best way for their syn......With the emergence of the copper-catalysed Huisgen cycloaddition the use of azide- and alkyne-derivatised α-amino acids has found widespread use within most chemistry disciplines. Despite a growing interest in these building blocks researchers are struggling to identify the best way...... for their synthesis. In this review we have compiled available methods for synthesising optically active azide- and alkyne-derivatised α-amino acids that can be prepared from readily available α-amino acids. We highlight a number of commonly overlooked problems associated with existing methods and direct attention...... to unexplored possibilities. Azide- and alkyne-derivatised α-amino acids are finding widespread use within most chemistry disciplines. However, it is far from clear what the best way for the synthesis of these useful building blocks is. Herein we show the available methods for synthesis of optically active...

Evolutionary systems biology of amino acid biosynthetic cost in yeast.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael D Barton

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Every protein has a biosynthetic cost to the cell based on the synthesis of its constituent amino acids. In order to optimise growth and reproduction, natural selection is expected, where possible, to favour the use of proteins whose constituents are cheaper to produce, as reduced biosynthetic cost may confer a fitness advantage to the organism. Quantifying the cost of amino acid biosynthesis presents challenges, since energetic requirements may change across different cellular and environmental conditions. We developed a systems biology approach to estimate the cost of amino acid synthesis based on genome-scale metabolic models and investigated the effects of the cost of amino acid synthesis on Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene expression and protein evolution. First, we used our two new and six previously reported measures of amino acid cost in conjunction with codon usage bias, tRNA gene number and atomic composition to identify which of these factors best predict transcript and protein levels. Second, we compared amino acid cost with rates of amino acid substitution across four species in the genus Saccharomyces. Regardless of which cost measure is used, amino acid biosynthetic cost is weakly associated with transcript and protein levels. In contrast, we find that biosynthetic cost and amino acid substitution rates show a negative correlation, but for only a subset of cost measures. In the economy of the yeast cell, we find that the cost of amino acid synthesis plays a limited role in shaping transcript and protein expression levels compared to that of translational optimisation. Biosynthetic cost does, however, appear to affect rates of amino acid evolution in Saccharomyces, suggesting that expensive amino acids may only be used when they have specific structural or functional roles in protein sequences. However, as there appears to be no single currency to compute the cost of amino acid synthesis across all cellular and environmental

Anatomical and pharmacological characterization of excitatory amino acid receptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monaghan, D.T.

1985-01-01

The majority of the excitatory neurotransmission in the vertebrate Central Nervous System is thought to be mediated by acidic amino acid neurotransmitters. However, relatively little is known about the excitatory amino acid receptors and their distribution within the CNS. By analyzing radioligand binding to purified synaptic plasma membranes and to thin tissue sections processed for autoradiography, multiple distinct binding sites were found. These binding sites exhibited the pharmacological properties indicative of the excitatory amino acid receptors, which had been identified by electrophysiological techniques. Specifically, L-[ 3 H]-glutamate and D-[ 3 H]-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate appear to label N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, L-[ 3 H]-glutamate and [ 3 H]-kainic acid appear to label kainic acid receptors, and L-[ 3 H]-glutamate and [ 3 H]-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate appear to label quisqualate receptors. Together, these results confirm the three receptor scheme proposed for excitatory amino acid neurotransmission. These results also show that these transmitter-receptor systems are differentially distributed in the brain, and that the total distribution is consistent with that found by other markers for excitatory amino acid-using neurons

Proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid composition of fish maws.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Jing; Zeng, Ling; Xu, Youhou; Sun, Yulin; Chen, Ziming; Fan, Sigang

2016-01-01

Fish maws are commonly recommended and consumed in Asia over many centuries because it is believed to have some traditional medical properties. This study highlights and provides new information on the proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid composition of fish maws of Cynoscion acoupa, Congresox talabonoides and Sciades proops. The results indicated that fish maws were excellent protein sources and low in fat content. The proteins in fish maws were rich in functional amino acids (FAAs) and the ratio of FAAs and total amino acids in fish maws ranged from 0.68 to 0.69. Among species, croaker C. acoupa contained the most polyunsaturated fatty acids, arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapntemacnioc acid, showing the lowest value of index of atherogenicity and index of thrombogenicity, showing the highest value of hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio, which is the most desirable.

Excitatory amino acid receptor antagonists

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, T N; Frydenvang, Karla Andrea; Ebert, B

1997-01-01

We have previously shown that (RS)-2-amino-2-(5-tert-butyl-3-hydroxyisoxazol-4-yl)acetic acid (ATAA) is an antagonist at N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)propionic acid (AMPA) receptors. We have now resolved ATAA via diastereomeric salt formation......)-phenylethylamine salt of N-BOC-(R)-ATAA. Like ATAA, neither (R)- nor (S)-ATAA significantly affected (IC50 > 100 microM) the receptor binding of tritiated AMPA, kainic acid, or (RS)-3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)propyl-1-phosphonic acid, the latter being a competitive NMDA antagonist. Electrophysiological experiments......, using the rat cortical wedge preparation, showed the NMDA antagonist effect as well as the AMPA antagonist effect of ATAA to reside exclusively in the (R)-enantiomer (Ki = 75 +/- 5 microM and 57 +/- 1 microM, respectively). Neither (R)- nor (S)-ATAA significantly reduced kainic acid-induced excitation...

Comparison of amino acids interaction with gold nanoparticle.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramezani, Fatemeh; Amanlou, Massoud; Rafii-Tabar, Hashem

2014-04-01

The study of nanomaterial/biomolecule interface is an important emerging field in bionanoscience, and additionally in many biological processes such as hard-tissue growth and cell-surface adhesion. To have a deeper understanding of the amino acids/gold nanoparticle assemblies, the adsorption of these amino acids on the gold nanoparticles (GNPs) has been investigated via molecular dynamics simulation. In these simulations, all the constituent atoms of the nanoparticles were considered to be dynamic. The geometries of amino acids, when adsorbed on the nanoparticle, were studied and their flexibilities were compared with one another. The interaction of each of 20 amino acids was considered with 3 and 8 nm gold GNPs.

Amino acids grafting of Ar+ ions modified PE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svorcik, V.; Hnatowicz, V.; Stopka, P.; Bacakova, L.; Heitz, J.; Oechsner, R.; Ryssel, H.

2001-01-01

Polyethylene (PE) was irradiated with 63 keV Ar + ions to the fluences from 1x10 12 to 3x10 15 cm -2 and then grafted at room temperature from water solution with amino acids (alanine, leucine). Using various spectroscopic techniques (UV-VIS, FTIR, RBS and EPR) it was shown that the amino acids penetrate into PE where they are eventually captured either on double bonds or on free radicals created by the ion irradiation. Grafting with amino acids in the whole specimen layer modified by irradiation is observed. The ion-beam-modified and amino-acid grafted PE is supposed to exhibit increased biocompatibility. (author)

Amino Acid Interaction (INTAA) web server.

Science.gov (United States)

Galgonek, Jakub; Vymetal, Jirí; Jakubec, David; Vondrášek, Jirí

2017-07-03

Large biomolecules-proteins and nucleic acids-are composed of building blocks which define their identity, properties and binding capabilities. In order to shed light on the energetic side of interactions of amino acids between themselves and with deoxyribonucleotides, we present the Amino Acid Interaction web server (http://bioinfo.uochb.cas.cz/INTAA/). INTAA offers the calculation of the residue Interaction Energy Matrix for any protein structure (deposited in Protein Data Bank or submitted by the user) and a comprehensive analysis of the interfaces in protein-DNA complexes. The Interaction Energy Matrix web application aims to identify key residues within protein structures which contribute significantly to the stability of the protein. The application provides an interactive user interface enhanced by 3D structure viewer for efficient visualization of pairwise and net interaction energies of individual amino acids, side chains and backbones. The protein-DNA interaction analysis part of the web server allows the user to view the relative abundance of various configurations of amino acid-deoxyribonucleotide pairs found at the protein-DNA interface and the interaction energies corresponding to these configurations calculated using a molecular mechanical force field. The effects of the sugar-phosphate moiety and of the dielectric properties of the solvent on the interaction energies can be studied for the various configurations. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Transport of amino acids and GABA analogues via the human proton-coupled amino acid transporter, hPAT1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Mie; Larsen, Birger Brodin; Frølund, Bente

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate transepithelial amino acid transport as a function of Caco-2 cell culture time. Furthermore, the objective was to investigate apical uptake characteristics of hPAT1-mediated transport under various experimental conditions. Apical amino acid uptake......, which has been shown to function as a carboxylic acid bioisostere for substrates of the GABA receptor and transport systems....

Differential utilization of blood meal amino acids in mosquitoes

OpenAIRE

Miesfeld, Roger

2009-01-01

Guoli Zhou, Roger MiesfeldDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USAAbstract: Amino acids in the mosquito blood meal have two forms, protein-bound and plasma-free amino acids. To determine if the metabolic fate and flux of these two forms of blood meal amino acids are distinct, we fed mosquitoes eight [14C]-labeled amino acids, seven of which are essential for mosquitoes (leucine, valine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, lysine, arginine, histidine), and one th...

Preference for and learning of amino acids in larval Drosophila

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nana Kudow

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Relative to other nutrients, less is known about how animals sense amino acids and how behaviour is organized accordingly. This is a significant gap in our knowledge because amino acids are required for protein synthesis − and hence for life as we know it. Choosing Drosophila larvae as a case study, we provide the first systematic analysis of both the preference behaviour for, and the learning of, all 20 canonical amino acids in Drosophila. We report that preference for individual amino acids differs according to the kind of amino acid, both in first-instar and in third-instar larvae. Our data suggest that this preference profile changes across larval instars, and that starvation during the third instar also alters this profile. Only aspartic acid turns out to be robustly attractive across all our experiments. The essentiality of amino acids does not appear to be a determinant of preference. Interestingly, although amino acids thus differ in their innate attractiveness, we find that all amino acids are equally rewarding. Similar discrepancies between innate attractiveness and reinforcing effect have previously been reported for other tastants, including sugars, bitter substances and salt. The present analyses will facilitate the ongoing search for the receptors, sensory neurons, and internal, homeostatic amino acid sensors in Drosophila.

Profile of Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, Carotenoid Total, and α-Tocopherol from Flying Fish Eggs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aulia Azka

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Flying fish are found in waters of eastern Indonesia, which until now is still limited informationabout nutritional content. The purpose of this research was determine the composition offatty acids, amino acids, total carotenoids, α-tocopherol flying fish eggs (Hyrundicthys sp..The composition of fatty acid was measured by gas chromatography (GC, while amino acids,total carotenoids, α-tocopherol was measured by High performanced Liquid Chromatography(HPLC. Egg contained 22 fatty acids such as saturated fatty acid 29.71%, monounsaturated fattyacid 7.86%, and polysaturated fatty acid 13.64%. The result showed that eggs flying fish contained17 amino acids, such as essential amino acid 14.96% and non-essential amino acids 20.27%. Eggscontained a total carotenoid of 245.37 ppm. α-tocopherol content of flying fish eggs by 1.06 ppm.Keywords: Amino acids, carotenoid total, fatty acid, flying fish egg, α-tocopherol

Stardust, Supernovae and the Chirality of the Amino Acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, R.N.; Kajino, T.; Onaka, T.

2011-01-01

A mechanism for creating enantiomerism in the amino acids, the building blocks of the proteins, that involves global selection of one chirality by interactions between the amino acids and neutrinos from core-collapse supernovae is described. The selection involves the dependence of the interaction cross sections on the orientations of the spins of the neutrinos and the 14N nuclei in the amino acids, or in precursor molecules, which in turn couple to the molecular chirality. The subsequent chemical evolution and galactic mixing would ultimately populate the Galaxy with the selected species. The resulting amino acids could either be the source thereof on Earth, or could have triggered the chirality that was ultimately achieved for Earth's amino acids.

Ion Irradiation of Sulfuric Acid: Implications for its Stability on Europa

Science.gov (United States)

Loeffler, M. J.; Hudson, R. L.; Moore, M. H.

2010-01-01

The Galileo near-infrared mapping spectrometer (NIMS) detected regions on Europa's surface containing distorted H2O bands. This distortion likely indicates that there are other molecules mixed with the water ice. Based on spectral comparison, some of the leading possibilities are sulfuric acid, salts. or possibly H3O(+). Previous laboratory studies have shown that sulfuric acid can be created by irradiation of H2OSO2 mixtures, and both molecules are present on Europa. In this project, we were interested in investigating the radiation stability of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and determining its lifetime on the surface of Europa.

Adduct formation of ionic and nanoparticular silver with amino acids and glutathione

Science.gov (United States)

Blaske, Franziska; Stork, Lisa; Sperling, Michael; Karst, Uwe

2013-09-01

To investigate the interaction of ionic and nanoparticular silver with amino acids and small peptides, an electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry method was developed. Monomeric and oligomeric silver adducts were formed with amino acids including cysteine (Cys), methionine, histidine, lysine, or the tripeptide glutathione (GSH). The obtained spectra for ionic silver show clusters in different ratios between Ag+ and the reaction partners (X) including [Ag n X m - ( n + 1)H]- ( n = 1-4, m = 1-3). Regarding Cys, adduct clusters up to n = 5 and m = 4 were observed as well. Considering silver-GSH interactions, even doubly charged oligomers occur generating [Ag( a + 1)GSH a - ( a + 3)H]2- ( a = 5-7) and [Ag b GSH b - ( b + 2)H]2- ( b = 4-8) ions. 1H NMR data of free GSH compared to that after treatment with Ag+ confirm sulfur-metal interactions due to changing chemical shifts for the protons located adjacent to the thiol group. Density functional theory calculations for silver-GSH clusters may explain the formation of experimentally recorded large clusters due to cooperative effects between silver and carboxylic acid side chains. Both sets of experiments indicate the presence of these adducts in the liquid phase. For silver nanoparticles, the respective data confirm the release of silver ions and the subsequent adduct formation.

Composition of amino acids, fatty acids and dietary fibre monomers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There is increasing demand for sources of energy and non-meat protein with balanced amino acid profiles worldwide. Nuts are rich in protein and essential amino acids, and have a high energy value due to their high fat content. Kernels from two wild fruits in Mozambique, Adansonia digitata and Sclerocarya birrea, were ...

Cyanobacteria as efficient producers of mycosporine-like amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Shikha; Prajapat, Ganshyam; Abrar, Mustari; Ledwani, Lalita; Singh, Anoop; Agrawal, Akhil

2017-09-01

Mycosporine-like amino acids are the most common group of transparent ultraviolet radiation absorbing intracellular secondary metabolites. These molecules absorb light in the range of ultraviolet-A and -B with a maximum absorbance between 310 and 362 nm. Cyanobacteria might have faced the most deleterious ultraviolet radiation, which leads to an evolution of ultraviolet protecting mycosporine-like amino acids for efficient selection in the environment. In the last 30 years, scientists have investigated various cyanobacteria for novel mycosporine-like amino acids, applying different induction techniques. This review organizes all the cyanobacterial groups that produce various mycosporine-like amino acids. We found out that cyanobacteria belonging to orders Synechococcales, Chroococcales, Oscillatoriales, and Nostocales are frequently studied for the presence of mycosporine-like amino acids, while orders Gloeobacterales, Spirulinales, Pleurocapsales, and Chroococcidiopsidales are still need to be investigated. Nostoc and Anabaena strains are major studied genus for the mycosporine-like amino acids production. Hence, this review will give further insight to the readers about potential mycosporine-like amino acid producing cyanobacterial groups in future investigations. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Regulation of intestinal protein metabolism by amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertrand, Julien; Goichon, Alexis; Déchelotte, Pierre; Coëffier, Moïse

2013-09-01

Gut homeostasis plays a major role in health and may be regulated by quantitative and qualitative food intake. In the intestinal mucosa, an intense renewal of proteins occurs, at approximately 50% per day in humans. In some pathophysiological conditions, protein turnover is altered and may contribute to intestinal or systemic diseases. Amino acids are key effectors of gut protein turnover, both as constituents of proteins and as regulatory molecules limiting intestinal injury and maintaining intestinal functions. Many studies have focused on two amino acids: glutamine, known as the preferential substrate of rapidly dividing cells, and arginine, another conditionally essential amino acid. The effects of glutamine and arginine on protein synthesis appear to be model and condition dependent, as are the involved signaling pathways. The regulation of gut protein degradation by amino acids has been minimally documented until now. This review will examine recent data, helping to better understand how amino acids regulate intestinal protein metabolism, and will explore perspectives for future studies.

Amino acid fermentation at the origin of the genetic code.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vladar, Harold P

2012-02-10

There is evidence that the genetic code was established prior to the existence of proteins, when metabolism was powered by ribozymes. Also, early proto-organisms had to rely on simple anaerobic bioenergetic processes. In this work I propose that amino acid fermentation powered metabolism in the RNA world, and that this was facilitated by proto-adapters, the precursors of the tRNAs. Amino acids were used as carbon sources rather than as catalytic or structural elements. In modern bacteria, amino acid fermentation is known as the Stickland reaction. This pathway involves two amino acids: the first undergoes oxidative deamination, and the second acts as an electron acceptor through reductive deamination. This redox reaction results in two keto acids that are employed to synthesise ATP via substrate-level phosphorylation. The Stickland reaction is the basic bioenergetic pathway of some bacteria of the genus Clostridium. Two other facts support Stickland fermentation in the RNA world. First, several Stickland amino acid pairs are synthesised in abiotic amino acid synthesis. This suggests that amino acids that could be used as an energy substrate were freely available. Second, anticodons that have complementary sequences often correspond to amino acids that form Stickland pairs. The main hypothesis of this paper is that pairs of complementary proto-adapters were assigned to Stickland amino acids pairs. There are signatures of this hypothesis in the genetic code. Furthermore, it is argued that the proto-adapters formed double strands that brought amino acid pairs into proximity to facilitate their mutual redox reaction, structurally constraining the anticodon pairs that are assigned to these amino acid pairs. Significance tests which randomise the code are performed to study the extent of the variability of the energetic (ATP) yield. Random assignments can lead to a substantial yield of ATP and maintain enough variability, thus selection can act and refine the assignments

Formation of taste-active amino acids, amino acid derivatives and peptides in food fermentations - A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Cindy J; Schieber, Andreas; Gänzle, Michael G

2016-11-01

Fermented foods are valued for their rich and complex odour and taste. The metabolic activity of food-fermenting microorganisms determines food quality and generates odour and taste compounds. This communication reviews the formation of taste-active amino acids, amino acid derivatives and peptides in food fermentations. Pathways of the generation of taste compounds are presented for soy sauce, cheese, fermented meats, and bread. Proteolysis or autolysis during food fermentations generates taste-active amino acids and peptides; peptides derived from proteolysis particularly impart umami taste (e.g. α-glutamyl peptides) or bitter taste (e.g. hydrophobic peptides containing proline). Taste active peptide derivatives include pyroglutamyl peptides, γ-glutamyl peptides, and succinyl- or lactoyl amino acids. The influence of fermentation microbiota on proteolysis, and peptide hydrolysis, and the metabolism of glutamate and arginine is well understood, however, the understanding of microbial metabolic activities related to the formation of taste-active peptide derivatives is incomplete. Improved knowledge of the interactions between taste-active compounds will enable the development of novel fermentation strategies to develop tastier, less bitter, and low-salt food products, and may provide novel and "clean label" ingredients to improve the taste of other food products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transport of acidic amino acids by human jejunal brush-border membrane vesicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajendran, V.M.; Harig, J.M.; Adams, M.B.; Ramaswamy, K.

1987-01-01

This study characterizes the transport of radiolabeled acidic amino acids into brush-border membrane vesicles prepared from human jejunum. The uptakes of L-glutamic, L-aspartic, and D-aspartic acids were stimulated by a Na + gradient. Concentrative uptake (resulting in an overshoot phenomenon) of these dicarboxylic amino acids occurred when there was an outward K + gradient. In addition, increasing K + gradients resulted in enhanced uptake of L-glutamic acid. This K + requirement is somewhat specific as Rb + and Cs + could enhance uptake to a limited extent, whereas Li + and choline + showed no enhancement. The presence of a K + gradient did not affect the affinity of the carrier system for L-glutamic acid but it did increase the V/sub max/. The presence of extravesicular anions having differing membrane permeabilities did not altar L-glutamic acid uptake indicating an absence of an effect of membrane potential on the transport process. Finally, the human transport system for L-glutamic acid appears to be specific for acidic amino acids as demonstrated by inhibition studies. The studies demonstrate a transport system in human jejunum specific for acidic amino acids that is energized by an inward Na + gradient and an outward K + gradient

Toward Sustainable Amino Acid Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Usuda, Yoshihiro; Hara, Yoshihiko; Kojima, Hiroyuki

Because the global amino acid production industry has been growing steadily and is expected to grow even more in the future, efficient production by fermentation is of great importance from economic and sustainability viewpoints. Many systems biology technologies, such as genome breeding, omics analysis, metabolic flux analysis, and metabolic simulation, have been employed for the improvement of amino acid-producing strains of bacteria. Synthetic biological approaches have recently been applied to strain development. It is also important to use sustainable carbon sources, such as glycerol or pyrolytic sugars from cellulosic biomass, instead of conventional carbon sources, such as glucose or sucrose, which can be used as food. Furthermore, reduction of sub-raw substrates has been shown to lead to reduction of environmental burdens and cost. Recently, a new fermentation system for glutamate production under acidic pH was developed to decrease the amount of one sub-raw material, ammonium, for maintenance of culture pH. At the same time, the utilization of fermentation coproducts, such as cells, ammonium sulfate, and fermentation broth, is a useful approach to decrease waste. In this chapter, further perspectives for future amino acid fermentation from one-carbon compounds are described.

Regulation of autophagy by mTOR and amino acids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruf, Stefanie

2016-01-01

Amino acids are the molecular building blocks for proteins, which form the molecular framework of every cell. In addition, amino acids are also needed for the production of nucleotides and lipids to make DNA and membranes. Amino acids are essential biomolecules and without them cellular growth would

Modulatory Effects of Dietary Amino Acids on Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajagopal, Senthilkumar; Sangam, Supraj Raja; Singh, Shubham; Joginapally, Venkateswara Rao

2016-01-01

Proteins are playing a vital role in maintaining the cellular integrity and function, as well as for brain cells. Protein intake and supplementation of individual amino acids can affect the brain functioning and mental health, and many of the neurotransmitters in the brain are made from amino acids. The amino acid supplementation has been found to reduce symptoms, as they are converted into neurotransmitters which in turn extenuate the mental disorders. The biosynthesis of amino acids in the brain is regulated by the concentration of amino acids in plasma. The brain diseases such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), and Huntington's diseases (HD) are the most common mental disorders that are currently widespread in numerous countries. The intricate biochemical and molecular machinery contributing to the neurological disorders is still unknown, and in this chapter, we revealed the involvement of dietary amino acids on neurological diseases.

d-Amino acids in molecular evolution in space - Absolute asymmetric photolysis and synthesis of amino acids by circularly polarized light.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugahara, Haruna; Meinert, Cornelia; Nahon, Laurent; Jones, Nykola C; Hoffmann, Søren V; Hamase, Kenji; Takano, Yoshinori; Meierhenrich, Uwe J

2018-07-01

Living organisms on the Earth almost exclusively use l-amino acids for the molecular architecture of proteins. The biological occurrence of d-amino acids is rare, although their functions in various organisms are being gradually understood. A possible explanation for the origin of biomolecular homochirality is the delivery of enantioenriched molecules via extraterrestrial bodies, such as asteroids and comets on early Earth. For the asymmetric formation of amino acids and their precursor molecules in interstellar environments, the interaction with circularly polarized photons is considered to have played a potential role in causing chiral asymmetry. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the investigation of chirality transfer from chiral photons to amino acids involving the two major processes of asymmetric photolysis and asymmetric synthesis. We will discuss analytical data on cometary and meteoritic amino acids and their potential impact delivery to the early Earth. The ongoing and future ambitious space missions, Hayabusa2, OSIRIS-REx, ExoMars 2020, and MMX, are scheduled to provide new insights into the chirality of extraterrestrial organic molecules and their potential relation to the terrestrial homochirality. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: d-Amino acids: biology in the mirror, edited by Dr. Loredano Pollegioni, Dr. Jean-Pierre Mothet and Dr. Molla Gianluca. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cytokines: muscle protein and amino acid metabolism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Hall, Gerrit

2012-01-01

raises TNF-α and IL-6 to moderate levels, has only identified IL-6 as a potent cytokine, decreasing systemic amino acid levels and muscle protein metabolism. The marked decrease in circulatory and muscle amino acid concentrations was observed with a concomitant reduction in both the rates of muscle...... of IL-6 on the regulation of muscle protein metabolism but indirectly via IL-6 reducing amino acid availability. SUMMARY: Recent studies suggest that the best described cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 are unlikely to be the major direct mediators of muscle protein loss in inflammatory diseases. However...

Covalently functionalized graphene sheets with biocompatible natural amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mallakpour, Shadpour; Abdolmaleki, Amir; Borandeh, Sedigheh

2014-01-01

Graphene sheets were covalently functionalized with aromatic–aliphatic amino acids (phenylalanine and tyrosine) and aliphatic amino acids (alanine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine and valine) by simple and green procedure. For this aim, at first natural graphite was converted into graphene oxide (GO) through strong oxidation procedure; then, based on the surface-exposed epoxy and carboxylic acid groups in GO solid, its surface modification with naturally occurring amino acids, occurred easily throughout the corresponding nucleophilic substitution and condensation reactions. Amino acid functionalized graphene demonstrates stable dispersion in water and common organic solvents. Fourier transform infrared, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the nanostructures and properties of prepared materials. Each amino acid has different considerable effects on the structure and morphology of the pure graphite, from increasing the layer spacing to layer scrolling, based on their structures, functional groups and chain length. In addition, therogravimetric analysis was used for demonstrating a successful grafting of amino acid molecules to the surface of graphene.

Electronic-state control of amino acids on semiconductor surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oda, Masato; Nakayama, Takashi

2005-01-01

Electronic structures of amino acids on the Si(1 1 1) surfaces are investigated by using ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations. It is shown that among various polar amino acids, a histidine is the only one that can be positively ionized when hole carriers are supplied in the Si substrate, by transferring the hole charge from Si substrate to an amino acid. This result indicates that the ionization of a histidine, which will activate the protein functions, can be controlled electrically by producing amino acid/Si junctions

Mechanisms controlling renal hemodynamics and electrolyte excretion during amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, L.L.; Mizelle, H.L.; Montani, J.P.; Hall, J.E.

1986-01-01

Our purpose was to investigate the mechanisms by which increased plasma amino acids elevate renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Since transport of amino acids and Na + is linked in the proximal tubule, the authors hypothesized that increased amino acids might stimulate proximal tubular Na + reabsorption (PR/sub Na/) and thus increase RBF and GFR by a macula densa feedback mechanism. A solution of four amino acids (Ala, Ser, Gly, Pro) was infused intravenously into anesthetized dogs with normal kidneys (NK) and with kidneys in which the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism was blunted by lowering renal artery pressure (LPK) or blocked by making the kidneys nonfiltering (NFK). In NK, RBF and GFR increased by 35 +/- 4% and 30 +/- 7% after 90 min of amino acid infusion, while PR/sub Na/ (estimated from lithium clearance) and O 2 consumption increased by 31 +/- 5% and 29 +/- 5% and distal Na + delivery remained relatively constant. Autoregulation of RBF and GFR in response to step deceases in renal artery pressure was impaired during amino acids in NK. The hemodynamic responses to amino acids were abolished in LPK and NFK. Infusion of the nonmetabolized α-aminoisobutyric acid into NK produced changes in renal hemodynamics that were similar to the responses observed with the four metabolizable amino acids. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that elevation of plasma amino acids increases RBF and GFR by a mechanism that requires an intact macula densa feedback. Metabolism of the amino acids does not appear to be necessary for these changes to occur

Mechanisms controlling renal hemodynamics and electrolyte excretion during amino acids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woods, L.L.; Mizelle, H.L.; Montani, J.P.; Hall, J.E.

1986-08-01

Our purpose was to investigate the mechanisms by which increased plasma amino acids elevate renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Since transport of amino acids and Na is linked in the proximal tubule, the authors hypothesized that increased amino acids might stimulate proximal tubular Na reabsorption (PR/sub Na/) and thus increase RBF and GFR by a macula densa feedback mechanism. A solution of four amino acids (Ala, Ser, Gly, Pro) was infused intravenously into anesthetized dogs with normal kidneys (NK) and with kidneys in which the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism was blunted by lowering renal artery pressure (LPK) or blocked by making the kidneys nonfiltering (NFK). In NK, RBF and GFR increased by 35 +/- 4% and 30 +/- 7% after 90 min of amino acid infusion, while PR/sub Na/ (estimated from lithium clearance) and O2 consumption increased by 31 +/- 5% and 29 +/- 5% and distal Na delivery remained relatively constant. Autoregulation of RBF and GFR in response to step deceases in renal artery pressure was impaired during amino acids in NK. The hemodynamic responses to amino acids were abolished in LPK and NFK. Infusion of the nonmetabolized -aminoisobutyric acid into NK produced changes in renal hemodynamics that were similar to the responses observed with the four metabolizable amino acids. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that elevation of plasma amino acids increases RBF and GFR by a mechanism that requires an intact macula densa feedback. Metabolism of the amino acids does not appear to be necessary for these changes to occur.

Specific lysosomal transport of small neutral amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pisoni, R.L.; Flickinger, K.S.; Thoene, J.G.; Christensen, H.N.

1986-01-01

Studies of amino acid exodus from lysosomes have allowed us previously to describe transport systems specific for cystine and another for cationic amino acids in fibroblast lysosomes. They are now able to study amino acid uptake into highly purified fibroblast lysosomes obtained by separating crude granular fraction on gradients formed by centrifugation in 35% isoosmotic Percoll solutions. Analog inhibition and saturation studies indicate that L-[ 14 C]proline (50 μM) uptake by fibroblast lysosomes at 37 0 C in 50 mM citrate/tris pH 7.0 buffer containing 0.25 M sucrose is mediated by two transport systems, one largely specific for L-proline and the other for which transport is shared with small neutral amino acids such as alanine, serine and threonine. At 7 mM, L-proline inhibits L-[ 14 C]proline uptake almost completely, whereas ala, ser, val, thr, gly, N-methylalanine and sarcosine inhibit proline uptake by 50-65%. The system shared by alanine, serine and threonine is further characterized by these amino acids strongly inhibiting the uptakes of each other. Lysosomal proline transport is selective for the L-isomer of the amino acid, and is scarcely inhibited by 7 mM arg, glu, asp, leu, phe, his, met, (methylamino) isobutyrate, betaine or N,N-dimethylglycine. Cis or trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline inhibit proline uptake only slightly. In sharp contrast to the fibroblast plasma membrane in which Na + is required for most proline and alanine transport, lysosomal uptake of these amino acids occurs independently of Na +

More than just sugar: allocation of nectar amino acids and fatty acids in a Lepidopteran.

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Eran; McCue, Marshall D; Davidowitz, Goggy

2017-02-08

The ability to allocate resources, even when limited, is essential for survival and fitness. We examine how nutrients that occur in minute amounts are allocated among reproductive, somatic, and metabolic demands. In addition to sugar, flower nectars contain two macronutrients-amino acids and fatty acids. We created artificial nectars spiked with 13 C-labelled amino acids and fatty acids and fed these to adult moths (Manduca sexta: Sphingidae) to understand how they allocate these nutrients among competing sinks (reproduction, somatic tissue, and metabolic fuel). We found that both essential and non-essential amino acids were allocated to eggs and flight muscles and were still detectable in early-instar larvae. Parental-derived essential amino acids were more conserved in the early-instars than non-essential amino acids. All amino acids were used as metabolic fuel, but the non-essential amino acids were oxidized at higher rates than essential amino acids. Surprisingly, the nectar fatty acids were not vertically transferred to offspring, but were readily used as a metabolic fuel by the moth, minimizing losses of endogenous nutrient stores. We conclude that the non-carbohydrate components of nectar may play important roles in both reproductive success and survival of these nectar-feeding animals. © 2017 The Author(s).

Effects of amino acids and metabolizable energy on egg ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-08-31

Aug 31, 2011 ... rate. All amino acids are not available in the feedstuffs for maintenance and production. Parts of amino acids are indigestible and can vary among different .... Fertility and hatch- ability are the major economical traits in broiler breeder reproductive performance. Main effects of amino acid of feedstuffs was ...

Amino acid metabolism of Lemna minor L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhodes, D.; Rich, P.J.; Brunk, D.G.

1989-01-01

A serious limitation to the use of N(O,S)-heptafluorobutyryl isobutyl amino acid derivatives in the analysis of 15 N-labeling kinetics of amino acids in plant tissues, is that the amides glutamine and asparagine undergo acid hydrolysis to glutamate and aspartate, respectively, during derivatization. This led us to consider an alternative procedure for derivatization of glutamine and asparagine with N-methyl-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide in pyridine. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry yielded fragment ions (M-57) of mass 417 and 431 for the [ 14 N]asparagine and [ 14 N]glutamine derivatives, respectively, suitable for monitoring unlabeled, single- 15 N- and double- 15 N-labeled amide species from the ion clusters at mass to charge ratio (m/z) 415 to 423 for asparagine, and m/z 429 to 437 for glutamine. From separate analyses of the specific isotope abundance of the amino-N groups of asparagine and glutamine as their N-heptafluorobutyryl isobutyl derivatives, the specific amide-[ 15 N] abundance of these amino acids was determined

Operating experience with unit for sulfuric acid alkylation of isobutane by butylenes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tagavov, I.T.; Sumanov, V.T.; Khadzhiev, S.N.

1988-09-01

The operation of units for the sulfuric acid alkylation of isobutanes by butylenes have been performed. The reaction was carried out in a KSG-3 horizontal sulfuric acid contractor. A butane-butylene fraction from catalytic cracking and an isobutane fraction from the central gas fractionating unit were used as a feedstock. The studies have shown that the unit will give a high-quality product under various conditions of operation. The specific consumption of sulfuric acid in processing different types of feed remains within acceptable limits.

Abiotic racemization kinetics of amino acids in marine sediments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steen, Andrew; Jørgensen, Bo Barker; Lomstein, Bente Aagaard

2013-01-01

Enantiomeric ratios of amino acids can be used to infer the sources and composition of sedimentary organic matter. Such inferences, however, rely on knowing the rates at which amino acids in sedimentary organic racemize abiotically. Based on a heating experiment, we report Arrhenius parameters...... between different amino acids or depths. These results can be used in conjunction with measurements of sediment age to predict the ratio of D:L amino acids due solely to abiotic racemization of the source material, deviations from which can indicate the abundance and turnover of active microbial...

Amino acids fortification of low-protein diet for broilers under tropical climate. 2. Nonessential amino acids and increasing essential amino acids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elmutaz Atta Awad

2014-08-01

Full Text Available A three-week trial was carried out to evaluate the effect of nonessential amino acids (NEAA supplementation to a low-crude protein (CP diet with adequate essential amino acids (EAA level on growth performance, blood metabolites, and relative weights of abdominal fat, breast yield, and internal organs in broiler chickens raised under tropical hot and humid environment. Five isocaloric (3000 metabolisable energy/kg corn-soybean diets were administered (1 to 21 days to 5 groups of broilers (60 birds/group as follows: i 22.2% CP (positive control; PC; ii 16.2% CP+all EAA to meet or exceed the National Research Council (1994 recommendations (negative control; NC; iii NC+further EAA to equal the levels in the PC diet; iv NC+NEAA to equal the levels in the PC; v NC+EAA and NEAA to equal the amino acids levels in the PC diet. The results showed that the fortification of EAA alone, only improved feed intake (FI, whereas, addition of NEAA or EAA+NEAA significantly enhanced body weight, daily weight gain, and FI and decreased the feed conversion ratio to the same levels as in PC. Serum uric acid was significantly reduced and serum triglyceride increased in NC group. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on relative weights of heart, liver, abdominal fat, breast meat yield, serum albumin, and serum total protein. In conclusion, these results suggest that NEAA fortification may improve the growth performance of broilers fed an excessive low-CP diet under tropical hot and humid condition.

Antioxidative Categorization of Twenty Amino Acids Based on Experimental Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Naijin; Chen, Guanqun; Liu, Hui

2017-11-27

In view of the great importance bestowed on amino acids as antioxidants in oxidation resistance, we attempted two common redox titration methods in this report, including micro-potassium permanganate titration and iodometric titration, to measure the antioxidative capacity of 20 amino acids, which are the construction units of proteins in living organisms. Based on the relative intensities of the antioxidative capacity, we further conducted a quantitative comparison and found out that the product of experimental values obtained from the two methods was proven to be a better indicator for evaluating the relative antioxidative capacity of amino acids. The experimental results were largely in accordance with structural analysis made on amino acids. On the whole, the 20 amino acids concerned could be divided into two categories according to their antioxidative capacity. Seven amino acids, including tryptophan, methionine, histidine, lysine, cysteine, arginine and tyrosine, were greater in total antioxidative capacity compared with the other 13 amino acids.

3.6. The kinetics of sulfuric acid decomposition of calcined concentrate of borosilicate ore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirsaidov, U.M.; Kurbonov, A.S.; Mamatov, E.D.

2015-01-01

Present article is devoted to kinetics of sulfuric acid decomposition of calcined concentrate of borosilicate ore. The experimental data of kinetics of extraction of boron oxide from danburite at sulfuric acid decomposition were obtained at 20-90 deg C temperature range and process duration 15-90 minutes. The flowsheet of obtaining of boric acid from borosilicate ores of Ak-Arkhar Deposit by sulfuric acid method was proposed.

Fortifying Horticultural Crops with Essential Amino Acids: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guoping; Xu, Mengyun; Wang, Wenyi; Galili, Gad

2017-06-19

To feed the world's growing population, increasing the yield of crops is not the only important factor, improving crop quality is also important, and it presents a significant challenge. Among the important crops, horticultural crops (particularly fruits and vegetables) provide numerous health compounds, such as vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids. Essential amino acids are those that cannot be produced by the organism and, therefore, must be obtained from diet, particularly from meat, eggs, and milk, as well as a variety of plants. Extensive efforts have been devoted to increasing the levels of essential amino acids in plants. Yet, these efforts have been met with very little success due to the limited genetic resources for plant breeding and because high essential amino acid content is generally accompanied by limited plant growth. With a deep understanding of the biosynthetic pathways of essential amino acids and their interactions with the regulatory networks in plants, it should be possible to use genetic engineering to improve the essential amino acid content of horticultural plants, rendering these plants more nutritionally favorable crops. In the present report, we describe the recent advances in the enhancement of essential amino acids in horticultural plants and possible future directions towards their bio-fortification.

Amino acid fermentation at the origin of the genetic code

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

There is evidence that the genetic code was established prior to the existence of proteins, when metabolism was powered by ribozymes. Also, early proto-organisms had to rely on simple anaerobic bioenergetic processes. In this work I propose that amino acid fermentation powered metabolism in the RNA world, and that this was facilitated by proto-adapters, the precursors of the tRNAs. Amino acids were used as carbon sources rather than as catalytic or structural elements. In modern bacteria, amino acid fermentation is known as the Stickland reaction. This pathway involves two amino acids: the first undergoes oxidative deamination, and the second acts as an electron acceptor through reductive deamination. This redox reaction results in two keto acids that are employed to synthesise ATP via substrate-level phosphorylation. The Stickland reaction is the basic bioenergetic pathway of some bacteria of the genus Clostridium. Two other facts support Stickland fermentation in the RNA world. First, several Stickland amino acid pairs are synthesised in abiotic amino acid synthesis. This suggests that amino acids that could be used as an energy substrate were freely available. Second, anticodons that have complementary sequences often correspond to amino acids that form Stickland pairs. The main hypothesis of this paper is that pairs of complementary proto-adapters were assigned to Stickland amino acids pairs. There are signatures of this hypothesis in the genetic code. Furthermore, it is argued that the proto-adapters formed double strands that brought amino acid pairs into proximity to facilitate their mutual redox reaction, structurally constraining the anticodon pairs that are assigned to these amino acid pairs. Significance tests which randomise the code are performed to study the extent of the variability of the energetic (ATP) yield. Random assignments can lead to a substantial yield of ATP and maintain enough variability, thus selection can act and refine the assignments

Amino acid fermentation at the origin of the genetic code

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Vladar Harold P

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract There is evidence that the genetic code was established prior to the existence of proteins, when metabolism was powered by ribozymes. Also, early proto-organisms had to rely on simple anaerobic bioenergetic processes. In this work I propose that amino acid fermentation powered metabolism in the RNA world, and that this was facilitated by proto-adapters, the precursors of the tRNAs. Amino acids were used as carbon sources rather than as catalytic or structural elements. In modern bacteria, amino acid fermentation is known as the Stickland reaction. This pathway involves two amino acids: the first undergoes oxidative deamination, and the second acts as an electron acceptor through reductive deamination. This redox reaction results in two keto acids that are employed to synthesise ATP via substrate-level phosphorylation. The Stickland reaction is the basic bioenergetic pathway of some bacteria of the genus Clostridium. Two other facts support Stickland fermentation in the RNA world. First, several Stickland amino acid pairs are synthesised in abiotic amino acid synthesis. This suggests that amino acids that could be used as an energy substrate were freely available. Second, anticodons that have complementary sequences often correspond to amino acids that form Stickland pairs. The main hypothesis of this paper is that pairs of complementary proto-adapters were assigned to Stickland amino acids pairs. There are signatures of this hypothesis in the genetic code. Furthermore, it is argued that the proto-adapters formed double strands that brought amino acid pairs into proximity to facilitate their mutual redox reaction, structurally constraining the anticodon pairs that are assigned to these amino acid pairs. Significance tests which randomise the code are performed to study the extent of the variability of the energetic (ATP yield. Random assignments can lead to a substantial yield of ATP and maintain enough variability, thus selection can

Meteoritic Amino Acids: Diversity in Compositions Reflects Parent Body Histories

Science.gov (United States)

Elsila, Jamie E.; Aponte, Jose C.; Blackmond, Donna G.; Burton, Aaron S.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Glavin, Daniel P.

2016-01-01

The analysis of amino acids in meteorites dates back over 50 years; however, it is only in recent years that research has expanded beyond investigations of a narrow set of meteorite groups (exemplied by the Murchison meteorite) into meteorites of other types and classes. These new studies have shown a wide diversity in the abundance and distribution of amino acids across carbonaceous chondrite groups, highlighting the role of parent body processes and composition in the creation, preservation, or alteration of amino acids. Although most chiral amino acids are racemic in meteorites, the enantiomeric distribution of some amino acids, particularly of the nonprotein amino acid isovaline, has also been shown to vary both within certain meteorites and across carbonaceous meteorite groups. Large -enantiomeric excesses of some extraterrestrial protein amino acids (up to 60) have also been observed in rare cases and point to nonbiological enantiomeric enrichment processes prior to the emergence of life. In this Outlook, we review these recent meteoritic analyses, focusing on variations in abundance, structural distributions, and enantiomeric distributions of amino acids and discussing possible explanations for these observations and the potential for future work.

Corrosion control of vanadium in aqueous solutions by amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Rabiee, M.M.; Helal, N.H.; El-Hafez, Gh.M. Abd; Badawy, W.A.

2008-01-01

The electrochemical behavior of vanadium in amino acid free and amino acid containing aqueous solutions of different pH was studied using open-circuit potential measurements, polarization techniques and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The corrosion current density, i corr , the corrosion potential, E corr and the corrosion resistance, R corr , were calculated. A group of amino acids, namely, glycine, alanine, valine, histidine, glutamic and cysteine has been investigated as environmentally safe inhibitors. The effect of Cl - on the corrosion inhibition efficiency especially in acid solutions was investigated. In neutral and basic solutions, the presence of amino acids increases the corrosion resistance of the metal. The electrochemical behavior of V before and after the corrosion inhibition process has shown that some amino acids like glutamic acid and histidine have promising corrosion inhibition efficiency at low concentration (≅25 mM). The inhibition efficiency (η) was found to depend on the structure of the amino acid and the constituents of the corrosive medium. The corrosion inhibition process is based on the adsorption of the amino acid molecules on the metal surface and the adsorption process follows the Freundlich isotherm. The adsorption free energy for valine on V in acidic solutions was found to be -9.4 kJ/mol which reveals strong physical adsorption of the amino acid molecules on the vanadium surface

Amino acid composition in parenteral nutrition: what is the evidence?

Science.gov (United States)

Yarandi, Shadi S.; Zhao, Vivian M.; Hebbar, Gautam; Ziegler, Thomas R.

2011-01-01

Purpose of review Complete parenteral nutrition solutions contain mixed amino acid products providing all nine essential amino acids and a varying composition of nonessential amino acids. Relatively little rigorous comparative efficacy research on altered parenteral nutrition amino acid composition has been published in recent years. Recent findings Limited data from randomized, double-blind, adequately powered clinical trials to define optimal doses of total or individual amino acids in parenteral nutrition are available. An exception is the growing number of studies on the efficacy of glutamine supplementation of parenteral nutrition or given as a single parenteral agent. Parenteral glutamine appears to confer benefit in selected patients; however, additional data to define optimal glutamine dosing and the patient subgroups who may most benefit from this amino acid are needed. Although some promising studies have been published, little data are available in the current era of nutrition support on the clinical efficacy of altered doses of arginine, branched chain amino acids, cysteine, or taurine supplementation of parenteral nutrition. Summary Despite routine use of parenteral nutrition, surprisingly little clinical efficacy data are available to guide total or specific amino acid dosing in adult and pediatric patients requiring this therapy. This warrants increased attention by the research community and funding agencies to better define optimal amino acid administration strategies in patient subgroups requiring parenteral nutrition. PMID:21076291

Polymers with complexing properties. Simple poly(amino acids)

Science.gov (United States)

Roque, J. M.

1978-01-01

The free amino (0.3 equiv/residue) and carboxyl (0.5 equiv/residue) groups of thermal polylysine increased dramatically on treatment with distilled water. The total hydrolysis of such a polymer was abnormal in that only about 50% of the expected amino acids were recovered. Poly (lysine-co-alanine-co-glycine) under usual conditions hydrolyzed completely in 8 hours; whereas, when it was pretreated with diazomethane, a normal period of 24 hours was required to give (nearly) the same amounts of each free amino acid as compared with those obtained from the untreated polymer. The amino groups of the basic thermal poly(amino acids) were sterically hindered. The existence of nitrogen atoms linking two or three chains and reactive groups (anhydride, imine) were proposed.

Interactive Hangman teaches amino acid structures and abbreviations

OpenAIRE

Pennington, BO; Sears, D; Clegg, DO

2014-01-01

© 2014 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 42(6):495-500, 2014. We developed an interactive exercise to teach students how to draw the structures of the 20 standard amino acids and to identify the one-letter abbreviations by modifying the familiar game of "Hangman." Amino acid structures were used to represent single letters throughout the game. To provide additional practice in identifying structures, hints to the answers were written in "amino acid sentences" f...

Branched-Chain Amino Acids Are the Primary Limiting Amino Acids in the Diets of Endurance-Trained Men after a Bout of Prolonged Exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Katsuya; Bannai, Makoto; Moore, Daniel R

2018-05-09

The indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method estimates the protein intake required to maximize whole-body protein synthesis and identify the daily protein requirement in a variety of populations. However, it is unclear whether the greater requirements for endurance athletes previously determined by the IAAO reflect an increased demand for all or only some amino acids. The aim of this study was to determine the primary rate-limiting amino acids in endurance-trained athletes after prolonged exercise, by measuring the oxidation of ingested [1-13C]phenylalanine in response to variable amino acid intake. Five endurance-trained men (means ± SDs: age, 26 ± 7 y; body weight, 66.9 ± 9.5 kg; maximal oxygen consumption, 63.3 ± 4.3 mL · kg-1 · min-1) performed 5 trials that involved 2 d of controlled diet (1.4 g protein · kg-1 · d-1) and running (10 km on day 1 and 5 km on day 2) prior to performing an acute bout of endurance exercise (20-km treadmill run) on day 3. During recovery on day 3, participants consumed test diets as 8 isocaloric hourly meals providing sufficient energy and carbohydrate but a variable amino acid intake. The test diets, consumed in random order, were deficient (BASE: 0.8 g · kg-1 · d-1) and sufficient (SUF; 1.75 g · kg-1 · d-1) amino acid diets modeled after egg protein, and BASE supplemented with branched-chain amino acids (BCAA diet; 1.03 g · kg-1 · d-1), essential amino acids (EAA diet; 1.23 g · kg-1 · d-1), or nonessential amino acids (NEAA diet; 1.75 g · kg-1 · d-1). Whole-body phenylalanine flux (Q), 13CO2 excretion (F13CO2), and phenylalanine oxidation (OX) were determined according to standard IAAO methodology. There was no effect of amino acid intake on Q (P = 0.43). F13CO2 was significantly (all P amino acids in the greater daily protein requirement of endurance trained men. This trial was registered at clinicaltrial.gov as NCT02628249.

Profile of Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, Carotenoid Total, and α-Tocopherol from Flying Fish Eggs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aulia Azka

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Flying fish are found in waters of eastern Indonesia, which until now is still limited information about nutritional content. The purpose of this research was determine the composition of fatty acids, amino acids, total carotenoids, α-tocopherol flying fish eggs (Hyrundicthys sp.. The composition of fatty acid was measured by gas chromatography (GC, while amino acids, total carotenoids, α-tocopherol was measured by High performanced Liquid Chromatography (HPLC. Egg contained 22 fatty acids such as saturated fatty acid 29.71%, monounsaturated fatty acid 7.86%, and polysaturated fatty acid 13.64%. The result showed that eggs flying fish contained 17 amino acids, such as essential amino acid 14.96% and non-essential amino acids 20.27%. Eggs contained a total carotenoid of 245.37 ppm. α-tocopherol content of flying fish eggs by 1.06 ppm.

Wolframite Conversion in Treating a Mixed Wolframite-Scheelite Concentrate by Sulfuric Acid

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Leiting; Li, Xiaobin; Zhou, Qiusheng; Peng, Zhihong; Liu, Guihua; Qi, Tiangui; Taskinen, Pekka

2018-02-01

Complete wolframite conversion in sulfuric acid is significant for expanding the applicability of the sulfuric acid method for producing ammonium paratungstate. In this paper, the conversion of wolframite in treating a mixed wolframite-scheelite concentrate by sulfuric acid was studied systematically. The results show that the conversion of wolframite in sulfuric acid is more difficult than that of scheelite, requiring rigorous reaction conditions. A solid H2WO4 layer forms on the surfaces of the wolframite particles and becomes denser with increasing H2SO4 concentration, thus hindering the conversion. Furthermore, the difficulty in wolframite conversion can be mainly attributed to the accumulation of Fe2+ (and/or Mn2+) in the H2SO4 solution, which can be solved by reducing Fe2+ (and/or Mn2+) concentration through oxidization and/or a two-stage process. Additionally, the solid converted product of the mixed wolframite-scheelite concentrate has an excellent leachability of tungsten in an aqueous ammonium carbonate solution at ambient temperature, with approximately 99% WO3 recovery. This work presents a route for manufacturing ammonium paratungstate by treating the mixed concentrate in sulfuric acid followed by leaching in ammonium carbonate solution.

Incorporation of radioactive amino acids into protein in isolated rat hepatocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seglin, P.O.

1976-01-01

The incorporation of radioactivity from a 14 C-labelled amino acid mixture (algal protein hydrolysate) into protein in isolated rat hepatocytes has been studied. The incorporation rate declined with increasing cell concentration, an effect which could be explained by isotope consumption, partly (and largely) by isotope dilution due to the formation of non-labelled amino acids by the cells. At a high extracellular amino acid concentration, the rate of incorporation into protein became independent of cell concentration because the isotope dilution effect was now quantitatively insignificant. The time course of protein labelling at various cell concentrations correlated better with the intracellular than with the extracellular amino acid specific activity, suggesting that amino acids for protein synthesis were taken from an intracellular pool. With increasing extracellular amino acid concentrations, both the intracellular amino acid concentration, the intracellular radioactivity and the rate of incorporation into protein increased. Protein labelling exhibited a distinct time lag at high amino acid concentrations, presumable reflecting the time-dependent expansion of the intracellular amino acid pool. The gradual increase in the rate of protein labelling could be due either to an increased intracellular specific activity, or to a real stimulation of protein synthesis by amino acids, depending on whether the total intracellular amino acid pool or just the expandable compartment is the precursor pool for protein synthesis

Laboratory generated artifacts in plasma amino acid quantitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ananth Nanjunda Rao

2002-10-01

Full Text Available The pace of physicians? involvement in amino acid metabolism has been enormous in the last five decades. With further development of technology to identify and quantitate upto picomoles of amino acids, their metabolites and related peptides, diagnosis and effective medical intervention in cases of inherited metabolic disorders have been well within the reach of the clinician. Automatic amino acid analyzers have become an essential part of major medical and research centers around the world. The technology has come indeed as a boon to physicians who in particular deal with inherited defects of amino acid metabolism. However, the technology comes with the risk of major deviations from the actual results when a few minor variations are not looked into. Trivial variations in basic steps of obtaining the sample, the choice of anticoagulant, hemolysis etc. can cause significant variations in the resulting values, particularly while dealing with inherited defects of amino acid metabolism and their treatment/management. Effects of such factors are revisited here for the benefit of the modern day laboratory personnel.

Steric and electrostatic interactions govern nanofiltration of amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Yongki; Chellam, Shankararaman

2007-10-01

Crossflow nanofiltration experiments were performed to investigate the factors influencing the removal of amino acids by a commercially available polymeric thin-film composite membrane. The removals of five monoprotic (Ala, Val, Leu, Gly, and Thr), one diprotic (Asp), and one dibasic (Arg) amino acids in a range of permeate fluxes, feed pH values, and ionic strengths were analyzed using a phenomenological model of membrane transport. At any given pH and ionic strength, reflection coefficients (rejection at asymptotically infinite flux) of monoprotic amino acids increased with molar radius demonstrating the role of steric interactions on their removal. Additionally, consistent with Donnan exclusion, higher reflection coefficients were obtained when the membrane and the amino acids both carried the same nature of charge (positive or negative). In other words, both co-ion repulsion and molecular size determined amino acids removal. Importantly, the removal of effectively neutral amino acids were significantly higher than neutral sugars and alcohols of similar size demonstrating that even near their isoelectric point, zwitterionic characteristics preclude them from being considered as strictly neutral. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mycosporine like amino acids in brown algae

OpenAIRE

Serban Radu; Stoian Gheorghe

2013-01-01

Biosynthesis of mycosporine and accumulation in cells serves as protection, by shielding the cells sensitive molecules Mycosporine-like aminoacids (MAAs) are derivated compounds of mycosporine that contains an amino-cyclohexenimine ring liked to an amino acid, amino alcohol or amino group. They preesent absorbtion maximum between 320 and 360 nm.

Determination of amino acids in industrial effluents contaminated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahar, M.T.; Khuhawar, M.Y.

2014-01-01

38 samples of soil for 19 locations partially irrigated on the effluents of sugar mill and oil andghee mill, bottom sediments of evaporation ponds of sugar and fertilizer industries were collected and analyzed for amino acids after acid digestion by gas chromatography using pre column derivatization with trifluroacetyleacetone and ethyl chloroformate. The results obtained were compared with the soil samples irrigated with fresh water. The soil samples were also analyzed for pH, total nitrogen contents and organic carbon. Nine essential (leucine (Leu), threonine (Thr), lysine (Lys), L-phenylalanine (Phe), tryptophan (Trp), histadine (His), L-valine (Val), methionine (Met) and isoleucine Ile) and ten non-essential ( alanine (Ala), cysteine (Cys), asparagine (Asn), glutamic acid (Glu), serine (Ser), glycine (Gly), proline (Pro), Glutamine (Gln), aspartic acid (Asp), tyrosine (Tyr)) amino acids were analyzed 13-15 amino acids were identified and determined quantitatively from soil samples. Amino acids Met, Asn, Gln and Trp were observed absent from all the samples. The variation in the amino acids contents in soil with the industrial effluents added and total nitrogen and organic carbon is discussed. (author)

Study of disulfide reduction and alkyl chloroformate derivatization of plasma sulfur amino acids using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Švagera, Z.; Hanzlíková, D.; Šimek, Petr; Hušek, Petr

2012-01-01

Roč. 402, č. 9 (2012), s. 2953-2963 ISSN 1618-2642 R&D Projects: GA MZd NS9755; GA ČR GAP206/10/2401; GA ČR GA203/09/2014 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50070508 Keywords : plasma amino acids * disulfide-reducing agents * trichloroacetic acid deproteinization Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 3.659, year: 2012 http://www.springerlink.com/content/781wln3085q3v21r/

Glucagon and Amino Acids Are Linked in a Mutual Feedback Cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holst, Jens J; Wewer Albrechtsen, Nicolai J; Pedersen, Jens

2017-01-01

; neither condition is necessarily associated with disturbed glucose metabolism. In glucagonoma patients, amino acid turnover and ureagenesis are greatly accelerated, and low plasma amino acid levels are probably at least partly responsible for the necrolytic migratory erythema, which resolves after amino...... acid administration. In patients with receptor mutations (and in knockout mice), pancreatic swelling is due to α-cell hyperplasia with gross hypersecretion of glucagon, which according to recent groundbreaking research may result from elevated amino acid levels. Additionally, solid evidence indicates...... that ureagenesis, and thereby amino acid levels, is critically controlled by glucagon. Together, this constitutes a complete endocrine system; feedback regulation involving amino acids regulates α-cell function and secretion, while glucagon, in turn, regulates amino acid turnover....

Solid state radiolysis of non-proteinaceous amino acids in vacuum. Astrochemical implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franco Cataldo; Giancarlo Angelini; Yaser Hafez; Susana Iglesias-Groth

2013-01-01

The analysis of the amino acids present in Murchison meteorite and in other carbonaceous chondrites has revealed the presence of 66 different amino acids. Only eight of these 66 amino acids are proteinaceous amino acids used by the present terrestrial biochemistry in protein synthesis, the other 58 amino acids are somewhat 'rare' or unusual or even 'unknown' for the current terrestrial biochemistry. For this reason in the present work a series of 'uncommon' non-proteinaceous amino acids, namely, l-2-aminobutyric acid, R(-)-2-aminobutyric acid, 2-aminoisobutyric acid (or α-aminoisobutyric acid), l-norleucine, l-norvaline, l-β-leucine, l-β-homoalanine, l-β-homoglutamic acid, S(-)-α-methylvaline and dl-3-aminoisobutyric acid were radiolyzed in vacuum at 3.2 MGy a dose equivalent to that emitted in 1.05 x 10 9 years from the radionuclide decay in the bulk of asteroids or comets. The residual amount of each amino acid under study remained after radiolysis was determined by differential scanning calorimetry in comparison to pristine samples. For optically active amino acids, the residual amount of each amino acid remained after radiolysis was also determined by optical rotatory dispersion spectroscopy and by polarimetry. With these analytical techniques it was possible to measure also the degree of radioracemization undergone by each amino acid after radiolysis. It was found that the non-proteinaceous amino acids in general do not show a higher radiation and radioracemization resistance in comparison to the common 20 proteinaceous amino acids studied previously. The unique exception is represented by ?-aminoisobutyric acid which shows an extraordinary resistance to radiolysis since 96.6 % is recovered unchanged after 3.2 MGy. Curiously α-aminoisobutyric acid is the most abundant amino acid found in carbonaceous chondrites. In Murchison meteorite α-aminoisobutyric acid represents more than 20 % of the total 66 amino acids found in this meteorite. (author)

Effect of the ratio between essential and nonessential amino acids in the diet on utilization of nitrogen and amino acids by growing pigs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lenis, N.P.; Diepen, van H.T.M.; Bikker, P.; Jongbloed, A.W.; Meulen, van der J.

1999-01-01

In 36 growing pigs (30 to 60 kg), N balance and amino acid (AA) composition of weight gain were measured to evaluate the interactive effect of the ratio between N from essential amino acids (EAA(N)) to nonessential amino acids (NEAA(N)) and total N level (T(N)) in the diet on N retention and

Mycosporine like amino acids in brown algae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serban Radu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Biosynthesis of mycosporine and accumulation in cells serves as protection, by shielding the cells sensitive molecules Mycosporine-like aminoacids (MAAs are derivated compounds of mycosporine that contains an amino-cyclohexenimine ring liked to an amino acid, amino alcohol or amino group. They preesent absorbtion maximum between 320 and 360 nm.

Stabilization of sulfuric acid dimers by ammonia, methylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine

Science.gov (United States)

Jen, Coty N.; McMurry, Peter H.; Hanson, David R.

2014-06-01

This study experimentally explores how ammonia (NH3), methylamine (MA), dimethylamine (DMA), and trimethylamine (TMA) affect the chemical formation mechanisms of electrically neutral clusters that contain two sulfuric acid molecules (dimers). Dimers may also contain undetectable compounds, such as water or bases, that evaporate upon ionization and sampling. Measurements were conducted using a glass flow reactor which contained a steady flow of humidified nitrogen with sulfuric acid concentrations of 107 to 109 cm-3. A known molar flow rate of a basic gas was injected into the flow reactor. The University of Minnesota Cluster Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer was used to measure the resulting sulfuric acid vapor and cluster concentrations. It was found that, for a given concentration of sulfuric acid vapor, the dimer concentration increases with increasing concentration of the basic gas, eventually reaching a plateau. The base concentrations at which the dimer concentrations saturate suggest NH3 heuristic models for cluster formation by acid-base reactions are developed to interpret the data. The models provide ranges of evaporation rate constants that are consistent with observations and leads to an analytic expression for nucleation rates that is consistent with atmospheric observations.

Amino acid repletion does not decrease muscle protein catabolism during hemodialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Raj, Dominic S C; Adeniyi, Oladipo; Dominic, Elizabeth A; Boivin, Michel A; McClelland, Sandra; Tzamaloukas, Antonios H; Morgan, Nancy; Gonzales, Lawrence; Wolfe, Robert; Ferrando, Arny

2007-06-01

Intradialytic protein catabolism is attributed to loss of amino acids in the dialysate. We investigated the effect of amino acid infusion during hemodialysis (HD) on muscle protein turnover and amino acid transport kinetics by using stable isotopes of phenylalanine, leucine, and lysine in eight patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Subjects were studied at baseline (pre-HD), 2 h of HD without amino acid infusion (HD-O), and 2 h of HD with amino acid infusion (HD+AA). Amino acid depletion during HD-O augmented the outward transport of amino acids from muscle into the vein. Increased delivery of amino acids to the leg during HD+AA facilitated the transport of amino acids from the artery into the intracellular compartment. Increase in muscle protein breakdown was more than the increase in synthesis during HD-O (46.7 vs. 22.3%, P HD-O compared with pre-HD (-33.7 +/- 1.5 vs. -6.0 +/- 2.3, P acids, the net balance (-16.9 +/- 1.8) did not switch from net release to net uptake. HD+AA induced a proportional increase in muscle protein synthesis and catabolism. Branched chain amino acid catabolism increased significantly from baseline during HD-O and did not decrease during HD+AA. Protein synthesis efficiency, the fraction of amino acid in the intracellular pool that is utilized for muscle protein synthesis decreased from 42.1% pre-HD to 33.7 and 32.6% during HD-O and HD+AA, respectively (P acid repletion during HD increased muscle protein synthesis but did not decrease muscle protein breakdown.

Amino acid biogeo- and stereochemistry in coastal Chilean sediments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lomstein, Bente Aagaard; Jørgensen, Bo Barker; Schubert, Carsten J.

2006-01-01

The spatial distribution of total hydrolysable amino acids (THAA) and amino acid enantiomers (D- and L-forms) was investigated in sediments underlying two contrasting Chilean upwelling regions,: at ~23°S off Antofagasta and at ~36°S off Concepcion. The contribution of amino acids to total organic...... carbon (%TAAC: 7-14%) and total nitrogen (%TAAN: 23-38%) in surface sediments decreased with increasing water depth (from 126 to 1350 m) indicating that organic matter becomes increasingly decomposed in surface sediments at greater water depth. Changes in the ratio between the protein amino acid...... aspartate and its non-protein degradation product β-alanine confirmed this observation. Furthermore, estimates of THAA mineralization showed that sedimentary amino acid reactivity decreased with both increasing water depth as well as progressive degradation status of the organic matter that was incorporated...

Protein evolution via amino acid and codon elimination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goltermann, Lise; Larsen, Marie Sofie Yoo; Banerjee, Rajat

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Global residue-specific amino acid mutagenesis can provide important biological insight and generate proteins with altered properties, but at the risk of protein misfolding. Further, targeted libraries are usually restricted to a handful of amino acids because there is an exponential...... correlation between the number of residues randomized and the size of the resulting ensemble. Using GFP as the model protein, we present a strategy, termed protein evolution via amino acid and codon elimination, through which simplified, native-like polypeptides encoded by a reduced genetic code were obtained...... simultaneously), while retaining varying levels of activity. Combination of these substitutions to generate a Phe-free variant of GFP abolished fluorescence. Combinatorial re-introduction of five Phe residues, based on the activities of the respective single amino acid replacements, was sufficient to restore GFP...

PUMP DESIGN AND COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMIC ANALYSIS FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE SULFURIC ACID TRANSFER SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JUNG-SIK CHOI

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, we proposed a newly designed sulfuric acid transfer system for the sulfur-iodine (SI thermochemical cycle. The proposed sulfuric acid transfer system was evaluated using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD analysis for investigating thermodynamic/hydrodynamic characteristics and material properties. This analysis was conducted to obtain reliable continuous operation parameters; in particular, a thermal analysis was performed on the bellows box and bellows at amplitudes and various frequencies (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 Hz. However, the high temperatures and strongly corrosive operating conditions of the current sulfuric acid system present challenges with respect to the structural materials of the transfer system. To resolve this issue, we designed a novel transfer system using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon® as a bellows material for the transfer of sulfuric acid. We also carried out a CFD analysis of the design. The CFD results indicated that the maximum applicable temperature of PTFE is about 533 K (260 °C, even though its melting point is around 600 K. This result implies that the PTFE is a potential material for the sulfuric acid transfer system. The CFD simulations also confirmed that the sulfuric acid transfer system was designed properly for this particular investigation.

High-level production of C-11-carboxyl-labeled amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Washburn, L.C.; Sun, T.T.; Byrd, B.L.; Hayes, R.L.; Butler, T.A.; Callahan, A.P.

1979-01-01

Carbon-11-labeled amino acids have significant potential as agents for positron tomographic functional imaging. We have developed a rapid, high-temperature, high-pressure modification of the Buecherer--Strecker amino acid synthesis and found it to be quite general for the production of C-11-carboxyl-labeled neutral amino acids. Production of C-11-carboxyl-labeled DL-tryptophan requires certain modifications in the procedure. Twelve different amino acids have been produced to date by this technique. Synthesis and chromatographic purification require approximately 40 min, and C-11-carboxyl-labeled amino acids have been produced in yields of up to 425 mCi. Two C-11-carboxyl-labeled amino acids are being investigated clinically for tumor scanning and two others for pancreatic imaging. Over 120 batches of the various agents have been produced for clinical use over a three-year period

From Unnatural Amino Acid Incorporation to Artificial Metalloenzymes

KAUST Repository

Makki, Arwa

2016-01-01

This thesis explores a novel strategy based on the site-selective incorporation of unnatural, metal binding amino acids into a host protein. The unnatural amino acids can either serve directly as metal binding centers can

Method Development for Efficient Incorporation of Unnatural Amino Acids

KAUST Repository

Harris, Paul D.

2014-04-01

The synthesis of proteins bearing unnatural amino acids has the potential to enhance and elucidate many processes in biochemistry and molecular biology. There are two primary methods for site specific unnatural amino acid incorporation, both of which use the cell’s native protein translating machinery: in vitro chemical acylation of suppressor tRNAs and the use of orthogonal amino acyl tRNA synthetases. Total chemical synthesis is theoretically possible, but current methods severely limit the maximum size of the product protein. In vivo orthogonal synthetase methods suffer from the high cost of the unnatural amino acid. In this thesis I sought to address this limitation by increasing cell density, first in shake flasks and then in a bioreactor in order to increase the yield of protein per amount of unnatural amino acid used. In a parallel project, I used the in vitro chemical acylation system to incorporate several unnatural amino acids, key among them the fluorophore BODIPYFL, with the aim of producing site specifically fluorescently labeled protein for single molecule FRET studies. I demonstrated successful incorporation of these amino acids into the trial protein GFP, although incorporation was not demonstrated in the final target, FEN1. This also served to confirm the effectiveness of a new procedure developed for chemical acylation.

Method Development for Efficient Incorporation of Unnatural Amino Acids

KAUST Repository

Harris, Paul D.

2014-01-01

The synthesis of proteins bearing unnatural amino acids has the potential to enhance and elucidate many processes in biochemistry and molecular biology. There are two primary methods for site specific unnatural amino acid incorporation, both of which use the cell’s native protein translating machinery: in vitro chemical acylation of suppressor tRNAs and the use of orthogonal amino acyl tRNA synthetases. Total chemical synthesis is theoretically possible, but current methods severely limit the maximum size of the product protein. In vivo orthogonal synthetase methods suffer from the high cost of the unnatural amino acid. In this thesis I sought to address this limitation by increasing cell density, first in shake flasks and then in a bioreactor in order to increase the yield of protein per amount of unnatural amino acid used. In a parallel project, I used the in vitro chemical acylation system to incorporate several unnatural amino acids, key among them the fluorophore BODIPYFL, with the aim of producing site specifically fluorescently labeled protein for single molecule FRET studies. I demonstrated successful incorporation of these amino acids into the trial protein GFP, although incorporation was not demonstrated in the final target, FEN1. This also served to confirm the effectiveness of a new procedure developed for chemical acylation.

The impacts of temperature, alcoholic degree and amino acids content on biogenic amines and their precursor amino acids content in red wine.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenzo, C; Bordiga, M; Pérez-Álvarez, E P; Travaglia, F; Arlorio, M; Salinas, M R; Coïsson, J D; Garde-Cerdán, T

2017-09-01

The aim was to study how factors such as temperature, alcoholic degree, and amino acids supplementation are able to influence the content of tyramine, histamine, 2-phenylethylamine, tryptamine and their precursor amino acids in winemaking process. Biogenic amines and amino acids were quantified at the beginning, middle and end of alcoholic fermentation, and at the end of malolactic fermentation. In general, samples produced with amino acid supplementation did not show the highest concentrations of biogenic amines, except for histamine, which content increased with the addition of the four amino acids. The synthesis of tyramine was mainly affected by the temperature and alcoholic degree, the formation of phenylethylamine was largely influenced by alcoholic degree, and tryptamine synthesis principally depended on temperature. Interestingly, there was interaction between these three factors for the biogenic amines studied. In conclusion, winemaking conditions should be established depending on the biogenic amine which synthesis is required to be controlled. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Amino acid catabolism and generation of volatiles by lactic acid bacteria

OpenAIRE

Tavaria, F. K.; Dahl, S.; Carballo, F. J.; Malcata, F. X.

2002-01-01

Twelve isolates of lactic acid bacteria, belonging to the Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, and Enterococcus genera, were previously isolated from 180- d-old Serra da Estrela cheese, a traditional Portuguese cheese manufactured from raw milk and coagulated with a plant rennet. These isolates were subsequently tested for their ability to catabolize free amino acids, when incubated independently with each amino acid in free form or with a mixture thereof. Attempts...

Residue-specific incorporation of noncanonical amino acids for protein engineering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Eldijk, Mark B.; van Hest, Jan C.M.; Lemke, E.A.

2018-01-01

The incorporation of noncanonical amino acids has given protein chemists access to an expanded repertoire of amino acids. This methodology has significantly broadened the scope of protein engineering allowing introduction of amino acids with non-native functionalities, such as bioorthogonal reactive

Radiolabeled amino acids : Basic aspects and clinical applications in oncology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jager, PL; Vaalburg, W; Pruim, J; de Vries, EGE; Langen, KJ; Piers, DA

As the applications of metabolic imaging are expanding, radiolabeled amino acids may gain increased clinical interest, This review first describes the basic aspects of amino acid metabolism, then continues with basic aspects of radiolabeled amino acids, and finally describes clinical applications,

the amino acid composition of selected south african feed ingredients

African Journals Online (AJOL)

of assessing the balance of amino acids, each is presented as a percentage of the requirements of broilers up to 3 weeks of age. ... nutritional importance of the total sulphur amino acids .... out and the primary amino acid analysis result sheet.

Accidents with sulfuric acid

OpenAIRE

Rajković Miloš B.

2006-01-01

Sulfuric acid is an important industrial and strategic raw material, the production of which is developing on all continents, in many factories in the world and with an annual production of over 160 million tons. On the other hand, the production, transport and usage are very dangerous and demand measures of precaution because the consequences could be catastrophic, and not only at the local level where the accident would happen. Accidents that have been publicly recorded during the last eigh...

Excitatory amino acid neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Meldrum, B; Garthwaite, J

1990-09-01

The progress over the last 30 years in defining the role of excitatory amino acids in normal physiological function and in the abnormal neuronal activity of epilepsy has been reviewed in earlier articles in this series. In the last five years it has become clear that excitatory amino acids also play a role in a wide range of neurodegenerative processes. The evidence is clearest where the degenerative process is acute, but is more controversial for slow degenerative processes. In this article Brian Meldrum and John Garthwaite review in vivo and in vitro studies of the cytotoxicity of amino acids and summarize the contribution of such toxicity to acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders.

Cometary Amino Acids from the STARDUST Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Jamie Elsila

2009-01-01

NASA's Stardust spacecraft returned samples from comet 81 P/WiId 2 to Earth in January 2006. Examinations of the organic compounds in cometary samples can reveal information about the prebiotic organic inventory present on the early Earth and within the early Solar System, which may have contributed to the origin of life. Preliminary studies of Stardust material revealed the presence of a suite of organic compounds including several amines and amino acids, but the origin of these compounds (cometary vs. terrestrial contamination) could not be identified. We have recently measured the carbon isotopic ratios of these amino acids to determine their origin, leading to the first detection of a cometary amino acid.

Integrated boiler, superheater, and decomposer for sulfuric acid decomposition

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Robert [Edgewood, NM; Pickard, Paul S [Albuquerque, NM; Parma, Jr., Edward J.; Vernon, Milton E [Albuquerque, NM; Gelbard, Fred [Albuquerque, NM; Lenard, Roger X [Edgewood, NM

2010-01-12

A method and apparatus, constructed of ceramics and other corrosion resistant materials, for decomposing sulfuric acid into sulfur dioxide, oxygen and water using an integrated boiler, superheater, and decomposer unit comprising a bayonet-type, dual-tube, counter-flow heat exchanger with a catalytic insert and a central baffle to increase recuperation efficiency.

Genetically encoded fluorescent coumarin amino acids

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jiangyun; Xie, Jianming; Schultz, Peter G.

2010-10-05

The invention relates to orthogonal pairs of tRNAs and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases that can incorporate the coumarin unnatural amino acid L-(7-hydroxycoumarin-4-yl) ethylglycine into proteins produced in eubacterial host cells such as E. coli. The invention provides, for example but not limited to, novel orthogonal synthetases, methods for identifying and making the novel synthetases, methods for producing proteins containing the unnatural amino acid L-(7-hydroxycoumarin-4-yl)ethylglycine and related translation systems.

Amino acids production focusing on fermentation technologies - A review.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Este, Martina; Alvarado-Morales, Merlin; Angelidaki, Irini

Amino acids are attractive and promising biochemicals with market capacity requirements constantly increasing. Their applicability ranges from animal feed additives, flavour enhancers and ingredients in cosmetic to specialty nutrients in pharmaceutical and medical fields. This review gives an overview of the processes applied for amino acids production and points out the main advantages and disadvantages of each. Due to the advances made in the genetic engineering techniques, the biotechnological processes, and in particular the fermentation with the aid of strains such as Corynebacterium glutamicum or Escherichia coli, play a significant role in the industrial production of amino acids. Despite the numerous advantages of the fermentative amino acids production, the process still needs significant improvements leading to increased productivity and reduction of the production costs. Although the production processes of amino acids have been extensively investigated in previous studies, a comprehensive overview of the developments in bioprocess technology has not been reported yet. This review states the importance of the fermentation process for industrial amino acids production, underlining the strengths and the weaknesses of the process. Moreover, the potential of innovative approaches utilizing macro and microalgae or bacteria are presented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Uptake of Tyrosine Amino Acid on Nano-Graphene Oxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossam M. Nassef

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Graphene oxide (GO is emerging as a promising nanomaterial with potential application in the detection and analysis of amino acids, DNA, enzymes, and proteins in biological fluid samples. So, the reaction of GO with amino acids should be characterized and determined before using it in biosensing methods and devices. In this study, the reaction of tyrosine amino acid (Tyr with GO was characterized using FT-IR, UV-vis spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM before its use. The optimum conditions for GO’s interaction with Tyr amino acid have been studied under variable conditions. The optimum conditions of pH, temperature, shaking time, and GO and tyrosine concentrations for the uptaking of tyrosine amino acid onto the GO’s surface from aqueous solution were determined. The SEM analysis showed that the GO supplied was in a particle size range between 5.4 and 8.1 nm. A pH of 8.4–9.4 at 25 °C and 5 min of shaking time were the optimum conditions for a maximum uptake of 1.4 μg/mL of tyrosine amino acid onto 0.2 mg/mL of GO.

Catalytic amino acid production from biomass-derived intermediates

KAUST Repository

Deng, Weiping

2018-04-30

Amino acids are the building blocks for protein biosynthesis and find use in myriad industrial applications including in food for humans, in animal feed, and as precursors for bio-based plastics, among others. However, the development of efficient chemical methods to convert abundant and renewable feedstocks into amino acids has been largely unsuccessful to date. To that end, here we report a heterogeneous catalyst that directly transforms lignocellulosic biomass-derived α-hydroxyl acids into α-amino acids, including alanine, leucine, valine, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine in high yields. The reaction follows a dehydrogenation-reductive amination pathway, with dehydrogenation as the rate-determining step. Ruthenium nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes (Ru/CNT) exhibit exceptional efficiency compared with catalysts based on other metals, due to the unique, reversible enhancement effect of NH3 on Ru in dehydrogenation. Based on the catalytic system, a two-step chemical process was designed to convert glucose into alanine in 43% yield, comparable with the well-established microbial cultivation process, and therefore, the present strategy enables a route for the production of amino acids from renewable feedstocks. Moreover, a conceptual process design employing membrane distillation to facilitate product purification is proposed and validated. Overall, this study offers a rapid and potentially more efficient chemical method to produce amino acids from woody biomass components.

Solubility of xenon in amino-acid solutions. II. Nine less-soluble amino acids

Science.gov (United States)

Kennan, Richard P.; Himm, Jeffrey F.; Pollack, Gerald L.

1988-05-01

Ostwald solubility (L) of xenon gas, as the radioisotope 133Xe, has been measured as a function of solute concentration, at 25.0 °C, in aqueous solutions of nine amino acids. The amino-acid concentrations investigated covered much of their solubility ranges in water, viz., asparagine monohydrate (0-0.19 M), cysteine (0-1.16 M), glutamine (0-0.22 M), histidine (0-0.26 M), isoleucine (0-0.19 M), methionine (0-0.22 M), serine (0-0.38 M), threonine (0-1.4 M), and valine (0-0.34 M). We have previously reported solubility results for aqueous solutions of six other, generally more soluble, amino acids (alanine, arginine, glycine, hydroxyproline, lysine, and proline), of sucrose and sodium chloride. In general, L decreases approximately linearly with increasing solute concentration in these solutions. If we postulate that the observed decreases in gas solubility are due to hydration, the results under some assumptions can be used to calculate hydration numbers (H), i.e., the number of H2O molecules associated with each amino-acid solute molecule. The average values of hydration number (H¯) obtained at 25.0 °C are 15.3±1.5 for asparagine, 6.8±0.3 for cysteine, 11.5±1.1 for glutamine, 7.3±0.7 for histidine, 5.9±0.4 for isoleucine, 10.6±0.8 for methionine, 11.2±1.3 for serine, 7.7± 1.0 for threonine, and 6.6±0.6 for valine. We have also measured the temperature dependence of solubility L(T) from 5-40 °C for arginine, glycine, and proline, and obtained hydration numbers H¯(T) in this range. Between 25-40 °C, arginine has an H¯ near zero. This may be evidence for an attractive interaction between xenon and arginine molecules in aqueous solution.

Use of flow scintillation analyzer combined with amino acid analyzer for measuring low-level radioactivity of tritium-labelled amino acids

CERN Document Server

Lukashina, E V; Fedoseev, V M; Ksenofontov, A L; Baratova, L A; Dobrov, E N

2002-01-01

Potential application of the Radiomatic 150TR Flow Scintillation Analyzer (Packard Instrument Co., USA) for measuring low radioactivity of tritium-labelled amino acids in eluate from the Amino Acid Analyzer 835 (Hitachi, Japan) was studied. Six scintillating cocktails were tested and the Hionic-Fluor and Ultima-Flo AP cocktails proved the most appropriate for flow measurement of radioactivity. Efficiency of tritium radioactivity recording under various conditions of analysis was determined. Under optimal conditions the lower detection limit for the Hionic-Fluor was 150, while for Ultima-Flo AP-100 decays/min in the peak of amino acid

Distribution and Origin of Amino Acids in Lunar Regolith Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Elsila, J. E.; Callahan, M. P.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; McLain, H. L.; Noble, S. K.; Gibson, E. K., Jr.

2015-01-01

The existence of organic compounds on the lunar surface has been a question of interest from the Apollo era to the present. Investigations of amino acids immediately after collection of lunar samples yielded inconclusive identifications, in part due to analytical limitations including insensitivity to certain compounds, an inability to separate enantiomers, and lack of compound-specific isotopic measurements. It was not possible to determine if the detected amino acids were indigenous to the lunar samples or the result of terrestrial contamination. Recently, we presented initial data from the analysis of amino acid abundances in 12 lunar regolith samples and discussed those results in the context of four potential amino acid sources [5]. Here, we expand on our previous work, focusing on amino acid abundances and distributions in seven regolith samples and presenting the first compound-specific carbon isotopic ratios measured for amino acids in a lunar sample.

Comparative radiosensitivity of amino acids during γ-radiolysis in aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duzhenkova, N.A.; Savich, A.V.

1977-01-01

The radiosensitivity of amino acids contained in proteins has been compared. The γ-radiolysis of aqueous solutions of amino acids has studied over a wide range of concentrations in the presence of air, the dose rate being 60 rad/sec, and the dose, 100 krad. Radiation-chemical yields of amino acid decay and ammonia accumulation are given. An increase in yields with amino acid concentration has been established. Assumptions concerning some peculiarities of the amino acid decay mechanism are made

Inhibitors of amino acids biosynthesis as antifungal agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Jastrzębowska, Kamila; Gabriel, Iwona

2015-02-01

Fungal microorganisms, including the human pathogenic yeast and filamentous fungi, are able to synthesize all proteinogenic amino acids, including nine that are essential for humans. A number of enzymes catalyzing particular steps of human-essential amino acid biosynthesis are fungi specific. Numerous studies have shown that auxotrophic mutants of human pathogenic fungi impaired in biosynthesis of particular amino acids exhibit growth defect or at least reduced virulence under in vivo conditions. Several chemical compounds inhibiting activity of one of these enzymes exhibit good antifungal in vitro activity in minimal growth media, which is not always confirmed under in vivo conditions. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the present knowledge on pathways of amino acids biosynthesis in fungi, with a special emphasis put on enzymes catalyzing particular steps of these pathways as potential targets for antifungal chemotherapy.

Time-resolved fluorometry of the aromatic amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laws, W.R.; Ross, J.B.A.; Katsoyannis, P.G.; Wyssbrod, H.R.

1988-01-01

The aromatic amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine are the chromophores that produce the intrinsic fluorescence of proteins. It has been a long-desired goal to be able to use the fluorescence of these amino acids to help understand protein dynamics, structure, and function. Considerable information about proteins in solution has come from steady-state, or time-averaged, fluorescence measurements, especially from the fluorescence of tryptophan. For a protein to be characterized more extensively, however, the time dependence of the intrinsic fluorescence must also be explained. Unfortunately, complex fluorescence decay kinetics have been observed not only for proteins having just a single aromatic amino acid, but also for simple analogues of these amino acids; the cause of these complex decays is not fully understood. Considerable effort must still be made to resolve the mechanisms causing the complex decays

Adduct formation of ionic and nanoparticular silver with amino acids and glutathione

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blaske, Franziska; Stork, Lisa; Sperling, Michael; Karst, Uwe, E-mail: uk@uni-muenster.de [University of Muenster, Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry (Germany)

2013-09-15

To investigate the interaction of ionic and nanoparticular silver with amino acids and small peptides, an electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry method was developed. Monomeric and oligomeric silver adducts were formed with amino acids including cysteine (Cys), methionine, histidine, lysine, or the tripeptide glutathione (GSH). The obtained spectra for ionic silver show clusters in different ratios between Ag{sup +} and the reaction partners (X) including [Ag{sub n}X{sub m} - (n + 1)H]{sup -} (n = 1-4, m = 1-3). Regarding Cys, adduct clusters up to n = 5 and m = 4 were observed as well. Considering silver-GSH interactions, even doubly charged oligomers occur generating [Ag{sub (a+1)}GSH{sub a} - (a + 3)H]{sup 2-} (a = 5-7) and [Ag{sub b}GSH{sub b} - (b + 2)H]{sup 2-} (b = 4-8) ions. {sup 1}H NMR data of free GSH compared to that after treatment with Ag{sup +} confirm sulfur-metal interactions due to changing chemical shifts for the protons located adjacent to the thiol group. Density functional theory calculations for silver-GSH clusters may explain the formation of experimentally recorded large clusters due to cooperative effects between silver and carboxylic acid side chains. Both sets of experiments indicate the presence of these adducts in the liquid phase. For silver nanoparticles, the respective data confirm the release of silver ions and the subsequent adduct formation.

and amino acids

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

P RABINDRA REDDY* and A MOHAN REDDY. Department of ... The mixed ligand complexes of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) with uridine and amino acids ..... Sabat M, Satyashur K A and Sundaralingam M 1983 J. Am. Chem. Soc. ... Uemura T, Shimura T, Nakamishi H, Tomahiro T, Nagawa Y and Okuno (Yohmei) H 1991. Inorg.

Measuring and modeling aqueous electrolyte/amino-acid solutions with ePC-SAFT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Held, Christoph; Reschke, Thomas; Müller, Rainer; Kunz, Werner; Sadowski, Gabriele

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Amino-acid solubilities and osmotic coefficients in ternary solutions containing one amino acids and one salt measured. • Weak salt influence on amino-acid solubilities except for salts containing Mg [2+] or NO 3 [−] (salting-in behavior). • Osmotic coefficients dominated by the solute with the highest molality. • Amino-acid solubilities and osmotic coefficients predicted reasonably with ePC-SAFT with deviations of 3.7% and 9.3%. • Predictions based on pure-component parameters for ions and amino acids using no ion/amino-acid fitting parameters. -- Abstract: In this work thermodynamic properties of electrolyte/amino acid/water solutions were measured and modeled. Osmotic coefficients at 298.15 K were measured by means of vapor-pressure osmometry. Amino-acid solubility at 298.15 K was determined gravimetrically. Considered aqueous systems contained one of the four amino acids: glycine, L-/DL-alanine, L-/DL-valine, and L-proline up to the respective amino-acid solubility limit and one of 13 salts composed of the ions Li + , Na + , K + , NH 4 + , Cl − , Br − , I − , NO 3 − , and SO 4 2− at salt molalities of 0.5, 1.0, and 3.0 mol · kg −1 , respectively. The data show that the salt influence is more pronounced on osmotic coefficients than on amino-acid solubility. The electrolyte Perturbed-Chain Statistical Association Theory (ePC-SAFT) was applied to model thermodynamic properties in aqueous electrolyte/amino-acid solutions. In previous works, this model had been applied to binary salt/water and binary amino acid/water systems. Without fitting any additional parameters, osmotic coefficients and amino-acid solubility in the ternary electrolyte/amino acid/water systems could be predicted with overall deviations of 3.7% and 9.3%, respectively, compared to the experimental data

Hydration of amino acids: FTIR spectra and molecular dynamics studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Panuszko, Aneta; Adamczak, Beata; Czub, Jacek; Gojło, Emilia; Stangret, Janusz

2015-11-01

The hydration of selected amino acids, alanine, glycine, proline, valine, isoleucine and phenylalanine, has been studied in aqueous solutions by means of FTIR spectra of HDO isotopically diluted in H2O. The difference spectra procedure and the chemometric method have been applied to remove the contribution of bulk water and thus to separate the spectra of solute-affected HDO. To support interpretation of obtained spectral results, molecular dynamics simulations of amino acids were performed. The structural-energetic characteristic of these solute-affected water molecules shows that, on average, water affected by amino acids forms stronger and shorter H-bonds than those in pure water. Differences in the influence of amino acids on water structure have been noticed. The effect of the hydrophobic side chain of an amino acid on the solvent interactions seems to be enhanced because of the specific cooperative coupling of water strong H-bond chain, connecting the carboxyl and amino groups, with the clathrate-like H-bond network surrounding the hydrocarbon side chain. The parameter derived from the spectral data, which corresponds to the contributions of the population of weak hydrogen bonds of water molecules which have been substituted by the stronger ones in the hydration sphere of amino acids, correlated well with the amino acid hydrophobicity indexes.

PLASMA PROTEIN AND HEMOGLOBIN PRODUCTION : DELETION OF INDIVIDUAL AMINO ACIDS FROM GROWTH MIXTURE OF TEN ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN URINARY NITROGEN.

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Robscheit-Robbins, F S; Miller, L L; Whipple, G H

1947-02-28

Given healthy dogs fed abundant iron and protein-free or low protein diets with sustained anemia and hypoproteinemia, we can study the capacity of these animals to produce simultaneously new hemoglobin and plasma protein. Reserve stores of blood protein-building materials are measurably depleted and levels of 6 to 8 gm. per cent for hemoglobin and 4 to 5 gm. per cent for plasma protein can be maintained for weeks or months depending upon the intake of food proteins or amino acid mixtures. These dogs are very susceptible to infection and various poisons. Dogs tire of these diets and loss of appetite terminates many experiments. Under these conditions (double depletion) standard growth mixtures of essential amino acids are tested to show the response in blood protein output and urinary nitrogen balance. As a part of each tabulated experiment one of the essential amino acids is deleted from the complete growth mixture to compare such response with that of the whole mixture. Methionine, threonine, phenylalanine, and tryptophane when singly eliminated from the complete amino acid mixture do effect a sharp rise in urinary nitrogen. This loss of urinary nitrogen is corrected when the individual amino acid is replaced in the mixture. Histidine, lysine, and valine have a moderate influence upon urinary nitrogen balance toward nitrogen conservation. Leucine, isoleucine, and arginine have minimal or no effect upon urinary nitrogen balance when these individual amino acids are deleted from the complete growth mixture of amino acids during 3 to 4 week periods. Tryptophane and to a less extent phenylalanine and threonine when returned to the amino acid mixture are associated with a conspicuous preponderance of plasma protein output over the hemoglobin output (Table 4). Arginine, lysine, and histidine when returned to the amino acid mixture are associated with a large preponderance of hemoglobin output. Various amino acid mixtures under these conditions may give a positive

Gustatory sensation of (L)- and (D)-amino acids in humans.

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Kawai, Misako; Sekine-Hayakawa, Yuki; Okiyama, Atsushi; Ninomiya, Yuzo

2012-12-01

Amino acids are known to elicit complex taste, but most human psychophysical studies on the taste of amino acids have focused on a single basic taste, such as umami (savory) taste, sweetness, or bitterness. In this study, we addressed the potential relationship between the structure and the taste properties of amino acids by measuring the human gustatory intensity and quality in response to aqueous solutions of proteogenic amino acids in comparison to D-enantiomers. Trained subjects tasted aqueous solution of each amino acid and evaluated the intensities of total taste and each basic taste using a category-ratio scale. Each basic taste of amino acids showed the dependency on its hydrophobicity, size, charge, functional groups on the side chain, and chirality of the alpha carbon. In addition, the overall taste of amino acid was found to be the combination of basic tastes according to the partial structure. For example, hydrophilic non-charged middle-sized amino acids elicited sweetness, and L-enantiomeric hydrophilic middle-sized structure was necessary for umami taste. For example, L-serine had mainly sweet and minor umami taste, and D-serine was sweet. We further applied Stevens' psychophysical function to relate the total-taste intensity and the concentration, and found that the slope values depended on the major quality of taste (e.g., bitter large, sour small).

Rewiring protein synthesis: From natural to synthetic amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yongqiang; Evans, Christopher R; Ling, Jiqiang

2017-11-01

The protein synthesis machinery uses 22 natural amino acids as building blocks that faithfully decode the genetic information. Such fidelity is controlled at multiple steps and can be compromised in nature and in the laboratory to rewire protein synthesis with natural and synthetic amino acids. This review summarizes the major quality control mechanisms during protein synthesis, including aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, elongation factors, and the ribosome. We will discuss evolution and engineering of such components that allow incorporation of natural and synthetic amino acids at positions that deviate from the standard genetic code. The protein synthesis machinery is highly selective, yet not fixed, for the correct amino acids that match the mRNA codons. Ambiguous translation of a codon with multiple amino acids or complete reassignment of a codon with a synthetic amino acid diversifies the proteome. Expanding the genetic code with synthetic amino acids through rewiring protein synthesis has broad applications in synthetic biology and chemical biology. Biochemical, structural, and genetic studies of the translational quality control mechanisms are not only crucial to understand the physiological role of translational fidelity and evolution of the genetic code, but also enable us to better design biological parts to expand the proteomes of synthetic organisms. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Biochemistry of Synthetic Biology - Recent Developments" Guest Editor: Dr. Ilka Heinemann and Dr. Patrick O'Donoghue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functions and Signaling Pathways of Amino Acids in Intestinal Inflammation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fang He

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Intestine is always exposed to external environment and intestinal microorganism; thus it is more sensitive to dysfunction and dysbiosis, leading to intestinal inflammation, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS, and diarrhea. An increasing number of studies indicate that dietary amino acids play significant roles in preventing and treating intestinal inflammation. The review aims to summarize the functions and signaling mechanisms of amino acids in intestinal inflammation. Amino acids, including essential amino acids (EAAs, conditionally essential amino acids (CEAAs, and nonessential amino acids (NEAAs, improve the functions of intestinal barrier and expressions of anti-inflammatory cytokines and tight junction proteins but decrease oxidative stress and the apoptosis of enterocytes as well as the expressions of proinflammatory cytokines in the intestinal inflammation. The functions of amino acids are associated with various signaling pathways, including mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR, nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-κB, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK, nuclear erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2, general controlled nonrepressed kinase 2 (GCN2, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2.

Flavor Compounds in Pixian Broad-Bean Paste: Non-Volatile Organic Acids and Amino Acids

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Hongbin Lin

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Non-volatile organic acids and amino acids are important flavor compounds in Pixian broad-bean paste, which is a traditional Chinese seasoning product. In this study, non-volatile organic acids, formed in the broad-bean paste due to the metabolism of large molecular compounds, are qualitatively and quantitatively determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. Amino acids, mainly produced by hydrolysis of soybean proteins, were determined by the amino acid automatic analyzer. Results indicated that seven common organic acids and eighteen common amino acids were found in six Pixian broad-bean paste samples. The content of citric acid was found to be the highest in each sample, between 4.1 mg/g to 6.3 mg/g, and malic acid were between 2.1 mg/g to 3.6 mg/g ranked as the second. Moreover, fumaric acid was first detected in fermented bean pastes albeit with a low content. For amino acids, savory with lower sour taste including glutamine (Gln, glutamic acid (Glu, aspartic acid (Asp and asparagines (Asn were the most abundant, noted to be 6.5 mg/g, 4.0 mg/g, 6.4 mg/g, 4.9 mg/g, 6.2 mg/g and 10.2 mg/g, and bitter taste amino acids followed. More importantly, as important flavor materials in Pixian broad-bean paste, these two groups of substances are expected to be used to evaluate and represent the flavor quality of Pixian broad-bean paste. Moreover, the results revealed that citric acid, glutamic acid, methionine and proline were the most important flavor compounds. These findings are agreat contribution for evaluating the quality and further assessment of Pixian broad-bean paste.

Flavor Compounds in Pixian Broad-Bean Paste: Non-Volatile Organic Acids and Amino Acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hongbin; Yu, Xiaoyu; Fang, Jiaxing; Lu, Yunhao; Liu, Ping; Xing, Yage; Wang, Qin; Che, Zhenming; He, Qiang

2018-05-29

Non-volatile organic acids and amino acids are important flavor compounds in Pixian broad-bean paste, which is a traditional Chinese seasoning product. In this study, non-volatile organic acids, formed in the broad-bean paste due to the metabolism of large molecular compounds, are qualitatively and quantitatively determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Amino acids, mainly produced by hydrolysis of soybean proteins, were determined by the amino acid automatic analyzer. Results indicated that seven common organic acids and eighteen common amino acids were found in six Pixian broad-bean paste samples. The content of citric acid was found to be the highest in each sample, between 4.1 mg/g to 6.3 mg/g, and malic acid were between 2.1 mg/g to 3.6 mg/g ranked as the second. Moreover, fumaric acid was first detected in fermented bean pastes albeit with a low content. For amino acids, savory with lower sour taste including glutamine (Gln), glutamic acid (Glu), aspartic acid (Asp) and asparagines (Asn) were the most abundant, noted to be 6.5 mg/g, 4.0 mg/g, 6.4 mg/g, 4.9 mg/g, 6.2 mg/g and 10.2 mg/g, and bitter taste amino acids followed. More importantly, as important flavor materials in Pixian broad-bean paste, these two groups of substances are expected to be used to evaluate and represent the flavor quality of Pixian broad-bean paste. Moreover, the results revealed that citric acid, glutamic acid, methionine and proline were the most important flavor compounds. These findings are agreat contribution for evaluating the quality and further assessment of Pixian broad-bean paste.

Surface Propensity of Atmospherically Relevant Amino Acids Studied by XPS.

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Mocellin, Alexandra; Gomes, Anderson Herbert de Abreu; Araújo, Oscar Cardoso; de Brito, Arnaldo Naves; Björneholm, Olle

2017-04-27

Amino acids constitute an important fraction of the water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) compounds in aerosols and are involved in many processes in the atmosphere. In this work, we applied X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to study aqueous solutions of four amino acids, glycine, alanine, valine, and methionine, in their zwitterionic forms. We found that amino acids with hydrophilic side chains and smaller size, GLY and ALA, tend to stay in the bulk of the liquid, while the hydrophobic and bigger amino acids, VAL and MET, are found to concentrate more on the surface. We found experimental evidence that the amino acids have preferential orientation relative to the surface, with the hydrophobic side chain being closer to the surface than the hydrophilic carboxylate group. The observed amino acid surface propensity has implications in atmospheric science as the surface interactions play a central role in cloud droplet formation, and they should be considered in climate models.

Carbobenzoxy amino acids: Structural requirements for cholecystokinin receptor antagonist activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maton, P.N.; Sutliff, V.E.; Jensen, R.T.; Gardner, J.D.

1985-01-01

The authors used dispersed acini prepared from guinea pig pancreas to examine 28 carbobenzoxy (CBZ) amino acids for their abilities to function as cholecystokinin receptor antagonists. All amino acid derivatives tested, except for CBZ-alanine, CBZ-glycine, and N alpha-CBZ- lysine, were able to inhibit the stimulation of amylase secretion caused by the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin. In general, there was a good correlation between the ability of a carbobenzoxy amino acid to inhibit stimulated amylase secretion and the ability of the amino acid derivative to inhibit binding of 125 I-cholecystokinin. The inhibition of cholecystokinin-stimulated amylase secretion was competitive, fully reversible, and specific for those secretagogues that interact with the cholecystokinin receptor. The potencies with which the various carbobenzoxy amino acids inhibited the action of cholecystokinin varied 100-fold and CBZ-cystine was the most potent cholecystokinin receptor antagonist. This variation in potency was primarily but not exclusively a function of the hydrophobicity of the amino acid side chain

Geochemistry of amino acids in shells of the clam Saxidomus

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Kvenvolden, K.A.; Blunt, D.J.; McMenamin, M.A.; Straham, S.E.

1980-01-01

Concentrations of amino acids and their corresponding d l enantiomeric ratios have been measured in shells of the bivalve mollusk Saxidomus from eleven localities, ranging in age from modern to probably more than 500,000 yr, along the Pacific coast of North America. Natural logarithms of amino acid concentrations correlate well with d l ratios, and the relationship provides a possible guide to the selection of fossils for use in amino acid dating. The relative order of the extents of racemization of amino acids at any given time appears to change with increasing sample age. Application of the amino acid dating method to shells from Whidbey Island, Washington, yields an age of about 80,000 yr, in contrast to the previously determined radiocarbon age of 36,000 yr which was measured on some shell carbonate and considered a minimum age. The amino acid age is compatible with the geologic record in the area. ?? 1980.

Variations of L- and D-amino acid levels in the brain of wild-type and mutant mice lacking D-amino acid oxidase activity.

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Du, Siqi; Wang, Yadi; Weatherly, Choyce A; Holden, Kylie; Armstrong, Daniel W

2018-05-01

D-amino acids are now recognized to be widely present in organisms and play essential roles in biological processes. Some D-amino acids are metabolized by D-amino acid oxidase (DAO), while D-Asp and D-Glu are metabolized by D-aspartate oxidase (DDO). In this study, levels of 22 amino acids and the enantiomeric compositions of the 19 chiral proteogenic entities have been determined in the whole brain of wild-type ddY mice (ddY/DAO +/+ ), mutant mice lacking DAO activity (ddY/DAO -/- ), and the heterozygous mice (ddY/DAO +/- ) using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). No significant differences were observed for L-amino acid levels among the three strains except for L-Trp which was markedly elevated in the DAO +/- and DAO -/- mice. The question arises as to whether this is an unknown effect of DAO inactivity. The three highest levels of L-amino acids were L-Glu, L-Asp, and L-Gln in all the three strains. The lowest L-amino acid level was L-Cys in ddY/DAO +/- and ddY/DAO -/- mice, while L-Trp showed the lowest level in ddY/DAO +/+ mice. The highest concentration of D-amino acid was found to be D-Ser, which also had the highest % D value (~ 25%). D-Glu had the lowest % D value (~ 0.01%) in all the three strains. Significant differences of D-Leu, D-Ala, D-Ser, D-Arg, and D-Ile were observed in ddY/DAO +/- and ddY/DAO -/- mice compared to ddY/DAO +/+ mice. This work provides the most complete baseline analysis of L- and D-amino acids in the brains of ddY/DAO +/+ , ddY/DAO +/- , and ddY/DAO -/- mice yet reported. It also provides the most effective and efficient analytical approach for measuring these analytes in biological samples. This study provides fundamental information on the role of DAO in the brain and may be relevant for future development involving novel drugs for DAO regulation.

Amino acid analysis in biological fluids by GC-MS

OpenAIRE

Kaspar, Hannelore

2009-01-01

Amino acids are intermediates in cellular metabolism and their quantitative analysis plays an important role in disease diagnostics. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based method was developed for the quantitative analysis of free amino acids as their propyl chloroformate derivatives in biological fluids. Derivatization with propyl chloroformate could be carried out directly in the biological samples without prior protein precipitation or solid-phase extraction of the amino acid...

tRNAs: cellular barcodes for amino acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Banerjee, Rajat; Chen, Shawn; Dare, Kiley

2010-01-01

The role of tRNA in translating the genetic code has received considerable attention over the last 50 years, and we now know in great detail how particular amino acids are specifically selected and brought to the ribosome in response to the corresponding mRNA codon. Over the same period, it has...... also become increasingly clear that the ribosome is not the only destination to which tRNAs deliver amino acids, with processes ranging from lipid modification to antibiotic biosynthesis all using aminoacyl-tRNAs as substrates. Here we review examples of alternative functions for tRNA beyond...... translation, which together suggest that the role of tRNA is to deliver amino acids for a variety of processes that includes, but is not limited to, protein synthesis....

Preferential hydrophobic interactions are responsible for a preference of D-amino acids in the aminoacylation of 5'-AMP with hydrophobic amino acids

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Lacey, J. C. Jr; Wickramasinghe, N. S.; Sabatini, R. S.

1992-01-01

We have studied the chemistry of aminoacyl AMP to model reactions at the 3' terminus of aminoacyl tRNA for the purpose of understanding the origin of protein synthesis. The present studies relate to the D, L preference in the esterification of 5'-AMP. All N-acetyl amino acids we studied showed faster reaction of the D-isomer, with a generally decreasing preference for D-isomer as the hydrophobicity of the amino acid decreased. The beta-branched amino acids, Ile and Val, showed an extreme preference for D-isomer. Ac-Leu, the gamma-branched amino acid, showed a slightly low D/L ratio relative to its hydrophobicity. The molecular basis for these preferences for D-isomer is understandable in the light of our previous studies and seems to be due to preferential hydrophobic interaction of the D-isomer with adenine. The preference for hydrophobic D-amino acids can be decreased by addition of an organic solvent to the reaction medium. Conversely, peptidylation with Ac-PhePhe shows a preference for the LL isomer over the DD isomer.