Special transport and neurological significance of two amino acids in a configuration conventionally designated as D.

1994 ◽  
Vol 196 (1) ◽  
pp. 297-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
H N Christensen ◽  
A A Greene ◽  
D K Kakuda ◽  
C L MacLeod
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Receptor Site ◽  
Amino Group ◽  
Carboxylate Group ◽  
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Imino Group ◽  
Group A ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Lower Homolog ◽  
Alpha Amino Acid

We point out an ability of certain amino acids to be recognized at a biological receptor site as though their amino group bore, instead of an alpha relationship to a carboxylate group, a beta, gamma or delta relationship to the same or a second carboxylate group. For aspartate, the unbalanced position of its amino group between a pair of carboxylates allows its occasional biorecognition as a beta-rather than as an alpha-amino acid, whereas for proline and its homologs, their cyclic arrangement may allow the imino group, without its being replicated, to be sensed analogously as falling at either of two distances from the single carboxylate group. The greater separation might allow proline to be seen as biologically analogous to gamma-aminobutyric acid. This more remote positioning of the imino group would allow the D-form of both amino acids to present its amino group in the orientation characteristic of the natural L-form. The dual modes of recognition should accordingly be signalled by what appears to be low stereospecificity, actually due to a distinction in the enantiorecognition of the two isomers. Competing recognition for transport between their respective D- and L-forms, although it does not prove that phenomenon, has been shown for proline and, significantly, even more strongly for its lower homolog, 2-azetidine carboxylate. Such indications have so far revealed themselves rather inconspicuously for the central nervous system binding of proline, reviewed here as a possible feature of a role suspected for proline in neurotransmission.

scholarly journals The utilization of prolyl peptides by Escherichia coli

1971 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Payne
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Competitive Interactions ◽  
Peptide Transport ◽  
Amino Group ◽  
Imino Group ◽  
Proline Residue

Peptides that have an N-terminal proline residue are taken up by Escherichia coli and are degraded by intracellular peptidases. A mutant that is unable to transport oligopeptides with N-terminal α-amino acids is also unable to transport the peptides with N-terminal proline. Dipeptides and oligopeptides can prevent the uptake of the corresponding prolyl peptides and the converse competitive interactions are also observed. Although the peptide α-amino group is essential to the process of peptide transport, the results with the prolyl peptides indicate that the dipeptide and oligopeptide permeases can handle peptides with either an α-amino or α-imino group.

scholarly journals Glutamate and psychiatric disorders

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva M. Tsapakis ◽  
Michael J. Travis
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acids ◽  
Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Neuronal Inhibition ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Excitatory Neurotransmission ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Glutamate System

Most of the excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system (CNS) is mediated by the endogenous excitatory amino acids (EAAs) glutamate, aspartate and homocysteine. Most of the endogenous inhibitory neurotransmission is mediated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). EAAs modulate the firing of almost all neurons in the CNS, as excitatory neurotransmission can result in both neuronal inhibition and excitation. The glutamate system is the best characterised of the EAA systems (Box 1).

scholarly journals Effect of high pressure on the crystal structures of sarcosine and betaine

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (a1) ◽  
pp. C272-C272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Kapustin ◽  
Vasliy Minkov ◽  
Elena Boldyreva
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Phase Transition ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Hydrogen Bonding ◽  
Hydrogen Bonds ◽  
Crystal Structures ◽  
Structural Phase ◽  
Amino Group ◽  
Carboxylate Group ◽  
Dual Nature

It is well known that infinite head to tail chains built of zwitterions linked to each other by N-H...O hydrogen bonds are common structural motifs in crystals of amino acids. These chains coincide with directions of the smallest compressibility of a crystal structure on cooling and increasing pressure and can even remain after structural phase transitions. However one should take into account the dual nature of these chains. From the one hand zwitterions of amino acids are linked by N-H...O hydrogen bonds formed from the head, amino group, and the tail, carboxylate group. From the other hand besides hydrogen bonding there is electrostatic interactions which occur between positively charged amino group and negatively charged carboxylate group. Being guided by an idea to distinguish electrostatic contribution from the charge assisted N-H...O hydrogen bonds and to understand their role in the crystal structure distortion on increasing pressure, two crystal structures of N-methyl derivatives of the simplest amino acid glycine are considered as a case study. N-methylglycine or sarcosine has two donors for hydrogen bonding and so forms two infinite head to tail chains in the structure whereas N,N,N-trimethylglycine or betaine has no hydrogen bonds at all, but its zwitterions are lined up resembling head to tail chains. The effect of increasing hydrostatic pressure is different for two crystals. The structure of betaine compresses anisotropically, but sarcosine undergoes a phase transition accompanying crystal fragmentation and changes in N-H...O hydrogen bonds. The phase transition is kinetically controlled and strongly depends on the rate of variation of pressure. Of special interest is distortion of head to tail chains on increasing pressure comparing with those observed in polymorphic modifications of glycine.

Purification of Antihemophilic Factor (Factor VIII) by Amino Acid Precipitation*

1964 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
pp. 064-074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H Wagner ◽  
William D McLester ◽  
Marion Smith ◽  
K. M Brinkhous
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Factor Viii ◽  
Plasma Protein ◽  
Acid Precipitation ◽  
Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Specific Procedure ◽  
Beta Alanine ◽  
Antihemophilic Factor

Summary1. The use of several amino acids, glycine, alpha-aminobutyric acid, alanine, beta-alanine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, as plasma protein precipitants is described.2. A specific procedure is detailed for the preparation of canine antihemophilic factor (AHF, Factor VIII) in which glycine, beta-alanine, and gammaaminobutyric acid serve as the protein precipitants.3. Preliminary results are reported for the precipitation of bovine and human AHF with amino acids.

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF POLYPEPTIDE AND AMINO ACIDS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NERVOUS TISSUE CULTURE IN THE PRESENCE OF CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE

2017 ◽  
pp. 22-26
Author(s):  
V. B. Dolgo-Saburov ◽  
N. I. Chalisova ◽  
L. V. Lyanginen ◽  
E. S. Zalomaeva
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Tissue Culture ◽  
Protective Effect ◽  
Organotypic Culture ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Mustard Gas ◽  
Synthesis Inhibitor ◽  
Combined Administration ◽  
The Central Nervous System

In an organotypic culture, an investigation was conducted into combined effects of cyclophosphamide DNA as synthesis inhibitor used to model a resorptive action of mustard gas, and cortexin polypeptide or each of 20 encoded amino acids on the development of cell proliferation in cerebral cortex explants of the rat. The combined administration of cyclophosphamide together with cortexin or with each of the 20 encoded amino acids, except glycine, showed suppression of the cytostatic agent inhibitory effect. Thus, cortexin and amino acids have a protective effect on cell proliferation in the tissue culture of the central nervous system under the action of mustardlike substances.

scholarly journals Diminished Systemic Amino Acids Metabolome and Lipid Peroxidation in Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJO) Infants Requiring Surgery

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1467
Author(s):  
Olga Begou ◽  
Antigoni Pavlaki ◽  
Olga Deda ◽  
Alexander Bollenbach ◽  
Kathrin Drabert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Lipid Peroxidation ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction ◽  
Ureteropelvic Junction ◽  
Obstructive Nephropathy ◽  
Conservative Group ◽  
Surgery Group ◽  
Group A ◽  
Group B

Congenital anomalies of the urinary tract, and particularly of obstructive nephropathy such as ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) in infants, can later lead to chronic kidney disease and hypertension. Fundamental questions regarding underlying mechanisms remain unanswered. The aim of the present study was to quantitate the systemic amino acids metabolome in 21 UPJO infants requiring surgery (Group A) and 21 UPJO infants under conservative treatment (Group B). Nineteen healthy age-matched infants served as controls (Group C). Serum amino acids involved in several pathways and representative metabolites, including the L-arginine-derived nitric oxide (NO) metabolites nitrite and nitrate and the lipid peroxidation biomarker malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) methods using their stable-isotope labeled analogs as internal standards after derivatization to their methyl esters N-pentafluoropropionic amides (amino acids) and to their pentafluorobenzyl derivatives (nitrite, nitrate, MDA). The concentrations of the majority of the biomarkers were found to be lower in Group A compared to Group B. Statistical analysis revealed clear differentiation between the examined study groups. Univariate statistical analysis highlighted serum homoarginine (q = 0.006), asymmetric dimethylarginine (q = 0.05) and malondialdehyde (q = 0.022) as potential biomarkers for UPJO infants requiring surgery. Group A also differed from Group B with respect to the diameter of the preoperative anterior–posterior renal pelvis (AP) as well as regarding the number and extent of inverse correlations between AP and the serum concentrations of the biomarkers. In Group A, but not in Group B, the AP diameter strongly correlated with hydroxy-proline (r = −0.746, p = 0.0002) and MDA (r = −0.754, p = 0.002). Our results indicate a diminished amino acids metabolome in the serum of UPJO infants requiring surgery comparing to a conservative group.

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