Infusion of amino acids decreases the hyperglycaemic effect of per- and postoperative glucose infusion: an experimental study in the rabbit

The effects on blood glucose concentration of 10% glucose with amino acid solution at low (18%) and high (25%) concentration of branched chain amino acids were studied, two days after laparotomy in fasted rabbits. During the whole study period, saline infusion was associated with normoglycaemia. Among the other infusion combinations peroperative infusion of amino acid solution high in branched chain amino acids with 10% glucose was the least hyperglycaemic. An amino acid solution low in branched chain amino acids with 10% glucose had the lowest hyperglycaemic effect 24 hours postoperatively. After 48 hours an infusion of 10% glucose produced the weakest hyperglycaemia. In preoperatively and 24 hours postoperatively 10% glucose was more hyperglycaemic than 10% glucose with the two amino acid solutions. After 24 and 48 hours, infusion of 10% glucose with amino acids high in branched chain amino acids was more hyperglycaemic than 10% glucose with amino acids low in branched chain amino acids.     

Variations in the content of free and bound amino acids during dormancy and the first cell cycle in Helianthus tuberosus tuber explants

Abstract

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of free and bound amino acids and amides during dormancy and the most important phases of the first cell cycle was carried out in tubers of Helianthus tuberosus.

In the dormant tuber arginine was confirmed to be the most abundant amino acid. A high amount of asparagine was also present; on the contrary glutamine was found in very low concentrations. During the progression of dormancy, all the free amino acids and amides declined while aspartic and glutamic acid increased.

During the G₁ phase of the first cell cycle induced by 2,4-D, all the free amino acids and amides decreased with the exception of glutamic acid.

At 18, 20, 24 h of activation with 2,4-D, corresponding to the S phase and the beginning of mitosis, bound amino acids were also determined. In these phases of the cell cycle they increased reaching a maximum at 20 h; on the other hand the free amino acid and amide content, especially aspartic acid, asparagine and arginine, decreased with the exception of glutamic acid, alanine and phenylalanine.     

Quantitative analysis of free amino acids and carbohydrates in spring barley anthers at different stages of maturity

The content of the carbohydrates glucose, fructose and sucrose was determined in spring barley anthers at different stages of maturity. During maturation the sucrose content of the anthers increased markedly. The following 17 free amino acids were detected in anthers of different stages of maturity: aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, alanine, arginine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, α-aminobutyric acid, glutamine, proline, tyrosine, phenylalanine, valine, threonine, cystine and glycine. Quantitative analysis was only carried out in amino acids present in higher concentrations in the analysed samples. These were: aspartic acid, glutamic acid, α-aminobutyric acid, proline, serine, valine and glutamine, and a mixture of amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine and phenylalanine). The total content of free amino acids increased with increasing maturity of the anthers. However, not all amino acids followed contributed to this increase, but only proline, glutamic acid, aspartic acid and glutamine. A small difference was found in the variety Gopal in which the aspartic acid content did not increase significantly, but the content of the mixture of amino acids and serine did. With the exception of green anthers of the variety Firlbecks Union, proline was present in the highest concentration in all samples analysed.     

Changes in Pool Sizes of Free Amino Acids and Amides in Leaves and Plastids of Zea mays during Leaf Development

The concentrations of free amino acids and amides within isolated maize (Zea mays L.) plastids were determined and compared with concentrations in the leaf tissue. The concentrations were different for each individual amino acid and varied between 1 and 10 millimolar. At five different developmental stages concentrations in the plastids were greater than those in the intact leaf tissue. During development, from the proplastid stage to the mature chloroplast, the amount of each amino acid per plastid remained relatively constant, but there were decreases in concentrations of plastid amino acids resulting from the developmental increase in plastid volume. In proplastids, the free amino acids were present in greater concentrations than those previously found to inhibit partially amino acid-synthesizing enzymes located in chloroplasts. In the chloroplasts, the molarities of the free amino acids were within the range known to inhibit amino acid-synthesizing enzymes.     

Diurnal variations in growth rate and growth substrate levels of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) under nitrogen-limiting conditions

Spinach plants were grown in hydroponic culture provided with variable limiting amounts of N. During a complete diurnal cycle, growth of the root and shoot parts, as well as levels of soluble and insoluble sugars and of free amino acids, were monitored. No clear relationship could be detected between the level of N feeding and the levels of free sugars and amino acids. Analysis of variance revealed that the variances in the relative growth rates of plant root and shoot could be correlated with the levels of sugars and amino acids. Root amino acid concentration could be correlated with shoot amino acid concentration and root sugar concentration. No relationship was found between the variances in root and shoot free sugar concentrations.     

Utilization of 15N-labelled yeast hydrolysate in Lactococcus lactis IL1403 culture indicates co-consumption of peptide-bound and free amino acids with simultaneous efflux of free amino acids

Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis IL1403 was grown in medium containing unlabelled free amino acids and ¹⁵N-labelled yeast hydrolysate to gain insight into the role of peptides as a source of amino acids under conditions where free amino acids are abundant. A mathematical model was composed to estimate the fluxes of free and peptide-derived amino acids into and out of the intracellular amino acid pool. We observed co-consumption of peptides and free amino acids and a considerable efflux of most free amino acids during growth. We did not observe significant differences between the peptide consumption patterns of essential and non-essential amino acids, which suggests that the incorporation of a particular amino acid is more dependent on its availability in a readily assimilated form than the organism’s auxotrophy for it. For most amino acids the contribution of peptide-bound forms to the formation of biomass was initially between 30 and 60 % with the remainder originating from free amino acids. During the later stages of fermentation we observed a decrease in the utilization of peptide-bound amino acids, thus indicating that the more readily assimilated peptides are gradually exhausted from the medium during growth.     

Protein metabolism during endurance exercise

After reviewing all the available results from our laboratory and numerous reports in the literature concerning changes that have occurred in various aspects of protein metabolism during exercise, a number of conclusions can be drawn with some degree of confidence. During exercise, protein synthesis is depressed and this change leaves amino acids available for catabolic processes. The rate of leucine oxidation appears to be increased during exercise, and there is a movement of amino acids, mostly in the form of alanine, from muscle to liver where the rate of gluconeogenesis is increased as a result of exercise. These changes in protein metabolism are probably physiologically significant in at least three ways: amino acid conversion to citric acid cycle intermediates enhances the rate of oxidation of acetyl-CoA generated from glucose and fatty acid oxidation; increased conversion of amino acids to glucose helps to prevent hypoglycemia; oxidation of some amino acids may provide energy for muscular contraction.     

Changes in the Contents of Free and Protein Amino Acids in Tobacco Seeds and Placentae during Maturation

Changes in the levels of protein and free amino acids in theseeds and placentae of Nicotiana tabacum were studied duringseed development. Seed maturation was completed 24 days afteranthesis. During maturation, protein rapidly accumulated inthe seeds between the 6th and 18th day, along with an appreciablecompositional change in the protein amino acids as the proportionsof glutamic acid and arginine increased. The amount of freeamino acids in the seeds gradually decreased throughout maturation.The major free amino acid on the 6th day after anthesis wasglutamine, which then drastically decreased between the 6thand 12th day with increases of glutamic acid, proline, arginineand alanine. The latter amino acids decreased thereafter untilthe 24th day. On the other hand, the amount and composition of the proteinsin the placentae did not change significantly throughout seedmaturation. In the early stage of development, the major freeamino acids in the placentae were glutamine, asparagine andglutamic acid, while in the later stage asparagine was mostabundant. (Received March 12, 1982; Accepted August 16, 1982)     

Influence of amino acid supply on ribosomes and protein synthesis of perfused rat liver

1. The livers of rats were perfused in situ with medium containing mixtures of amino acids in multiples of their concentration in normal rat plasma. The incorporation of labelled amino acid into protein of the liver and of the perfusing medium increased with increasing amino acid concentration. During 60min. perfusions, labelling of liver protein reached a plateau, and labelling of medium protein was inhibited when the initial concentration of the amino acid mixture was more than ten times the normal plasma value. 2. Examination of polysome profiles derived from livers perfused without amino acids in the medium showed that the number of large aggregates was decreased and the number of small aggregates, particularly monomers and dimers, was increased with time of perfusion. The addition of amino acids to the perfusion medium reversed this polysome shift to an extent that was dependent on the initial concentration of amino acids. Polysome profiles derived from livers perfused for 60min. with ten times the normal plasma concentration of amino acids were essentially the same as the polysome profiles of normal non-perfused livers. 3. The ability of ribosome preparations from perfused livers to incorporate amino acids into protein in vitro decreased with increasing time of perfusion when no amino acids were added to the medium, but increased as the concentration of amino acids in the perfusion medium was increased. 4. The ability of cell sap from perfused livers to support protein synthesis in vitro was not influenced by the amino acid concentration of the perfusion medium. 5. Livers were perfused for 60min. with medium containing amino acid mixtures at ten times the normal plasma concentration but deficient in one amino acid. Maximal incorporation of labelled amino acid into liver protein, the stability of the polysome profile and the ability of ribosome preparations to incorporate amino acids into protein were found to depend on the presence of 11 amino acids: arginine, asparagine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, threonine, tryptophan and valine. A mixture of these 11 amino acids, at ten times their normal plasma concentration, stimulated the incorporation of labelled amino acid into liver protein, stabilized the polysome profile and increased the ability of ribosome preparations to incorporate amino acids into protein to the same extent as the complete mixture. 6. It is concluded that the availability of certain amino acids plays an important role in the control of protein synthesis, possibly by stimulating the ability of ribosomes to become, and to remain, attached to messenger RNA.     

Compartmentation and exchangeability of brain amino acids: evidence from studies of transport into tissue slices.

Compartmentation of the free amino acid pool of brain slices was investigated by measuring the approach to isotopic equilibrium between tissue and medium when slices were incubated with traces of radioactive amino acids. Trace quantities were used to minimize the effects of uptake, which could make the detection of slowly equilibrating pools difficult by greatly increasing tissue amino acid levels. Small, sequestered compartments were found. After 2 h in 20 vol of glucose-containing, oxygenated medium, the nonequilibrating compartments for lysine, leucine, tyrosine, histidine, valine, and threonine were 41, 20, 17, 16, 11, and 6% of their final tissue concentrations, respectively. The data for rapidly metabolized, nonessential, amino acids were more difficult to interpret. Considerable mixing of incoming glutamic and aspartic acids with their endogenous pools was observed and tissue glycine reached isotopic equilibrium within 1 h. With higher concentrations of amino acids, equilibration was complete in 30 min with 2 mm glycine in the medium; 83% in 30 min with 2 mm glutamic acid, and 95% in 60 min with 5 mm glutamic acid in the medium. The amino acid composition of protein free extracts of slices and medium was determined. During incubation, despite a large efflux of amino acids into the medium, most tissue amino acids remained close to their initial concentrations. Net increases in essential amino acids were accounted for by the breakdown of 0.7% of total tissue protein during the first hour and 0.3% during the second hour of incubation.     

一种构建高质量随机肽库的有效方法

为构建完全随机化的基因工程肽库 ,克服现有简并方案中终止密码子和序列组成偏歧的不足 ,提出了一种新的简并DNA文库合成方式。通过这种分组式合成方式构建的肽库可以避免终止密码子的出现和氨基酸组成偏歧的发生 ,还可以控制随机化过程中不同氨基酸的参入比例。以一个 13肽库的合成过程为例对分组式合成法进行了实验 ,测序结果和对 19种氨基酸出现频率的统计表明没有终止密码子和半胱氨酸密码子出现 ,各氨基酸的出现频率接近均值 ,表明这种分组 混合 分组 ,辅以简并合成的方法是行之有效的 ,能满足各类高容量基因工程随机肽库要求。     

Amino acids as a nitrogen source for Chlorella symbiotic with green hydra

Supply of amino acids may be important in controlling cell division of Chlorella symbiotic with green hydra. Freshly isolated symbionts display characteristics of N-limited algae, and low pH in perialgal vacuoles and high levels of host glutamine synthetase (GS) limit uptake of ammonium. Movement of tritiated amino acids from host to algal pools suggests that symbiotic algae utilize amino acids derived from host digestion of prey. Amounts are significant in relation to host and algal amino acids pools. During host starvation, glutamine produced by host GS may be important as a nitrogen supply to the algae, which take up this amino acid at high rates at low pH.     

Utilization of milk amino acids for body gain in suckling mink (Mustela vison) kits

The efficiency of utilization of milk amino acids for body gain in suckling mink kits from small (n = 3), medium (n = 6) and large litters (n = 9) was investigated by using 36 mink dams and their litters for measurements during lactation weeks 1 through 4. Measurements on each dam and litter were performed once, hence three dams per litter size each week (n = 9). Individual milk intake of kits was determined, milk samples were collected and kits were killed for determination of amino acid composition. The most abundant amino acids in milk were glutamate, leucine and aspartate making up about 40% of total amino acids. Branched chained amino acids made up slightly more than 20% and sulphur containing amino acids less than 5% of total milk amino acids. In kit bodies the sum of glutamate, aspartate and leucine made up about 32% of amino acids, branched chain amino acids about 16% and sulphur containing amino acids about 4%. The amino acid composition of both milk and bodies changed as lactation progressed with decreasing proportions of essential amino acids. The ratio between body and milk amino acids was constantly over 1 only for lysine, suggesting that it was the most limiting amino acid in mink milk. Milk amino acids were efficiently utilized during week 1, ranging from 74.7% (lysine) to 42.1% (leucine), with an average for essential amino acids of 58.4%. Tendencies for improved utilization of lysine (74.7-78.2%), phenylalanine (61.0-70.0%), histidine (62.4-68.8%), arginine (61.3-70.4%) and all essential amino acids (58.4-60.2%) from week 1 to week 2 were recorded. During weeks 3 and 4, the efficiency declined, and for all essential amino acids the average utilization was 38.1% during week 4.     

Extra- and intracellular amino acids in the hippocampus during development of hepatic encephalopathy

Fulminant hepatic failure was induced in rabbits by intravenous administration of galactosamine hydrochloride. The animals were sacrified after 45 h and the hippocampus analyzed for free amino acids. In addition, free amino acids were measured in plasma and in the extracellular fluid of the hippocampus 20, 30 and 45 h after galactosamine injection. The extracellular fluid compartment was analyzed by slow perfusion of a thin dialysis tube which was implanted in the hippocampus one day prior to galactosamine administration. The amino acid concentration in the extracellular fluid agreed fairly well with that of the cerebrospinal fluid in the control situation. During development of hepatic failure, the plasma concentrations of all amino acids increased. The changes in extracellular amino acids were smaller, except for phosphoethanolamine and glutamate. The concentration ratio intra/extracellular amino acids decreased in the hippocampus for amino acids with a normally high concentration gradient.     

性腺发育不同阶段野生瓯江凤鲚肌肉营养成分的分析与评价

研究旨在针对不同性腺发育阶段(Ⅰ期、Ⅱ期、Ⅲ期、Ⅳ期、Ⅴ期)野生瓯江凤鲚(Coiliamystus)性腺发育情况和肌肉营养成分进行分析与评价。研究表明: 在雌、雄野生瓯江凤鲚性腺从Ⅰ期发育至Ⅴ期的过程中, 成熟系数呈现上升趋势, 凤鲚卵巢的GSI值是精巢GSI值的5倍。在卵巢发育Ⅰ—Ⅴ期, 粗脂肪含量显著下降, 粗蛋白和水分显著上升(P<0.05); 在精巢发育Ⅰ—Ⅴ期, 粗脂肪含量显著上升, 粗蛋白和水分显著下降(P<0.05), 灰分含量先升后降, 说明野生瓯江凤鲚在卵巢发育过程中脂肪为主要供能物质。雌凤鲚肌肉在卵巢发育Ⅰ—Ⅴ期显著上升(P<0.05), 雄凤鲚肌肉氨基酸含量在精巢发育Ⅰ—Ⅴ期显著下降(P<0.05)。但各性腺发育阶段氨基酸组成相对稳定, 雌、雄鱼肌肉总必需氨基酸/总氨基酸分别为(37.88±0.32)%—(41.66±0.44)%和(40.30±0.69)%—(40.94±0.29)%。依据氨基酸评分(AAS)和化学评分(CS)标准, 不同性腺发育阶段的野生瓯江雌、雄凤鲚肌肉中第一限制性氨基酸均为色氨酸, 第二限制性氨基酸均为甲硫氨酸(Met)和胱氨酸(Cys)。在卵巢发育Ⅰ—Ⅴ期, 性腺发育阶段含量最丰富的C16﹕0和C18﹕1呈下降趋势, 可能是作为主要的供能脂肪酸。多不饱和脂肪酸的主要脂肪酸DHA在卵巢发育中呈现先上升后下降趋势。在精巢发育Ⅰ—Ⅴ期, 多不饱和脂肪酸呈现下降趋势。因此, 在繁殖过程中, 野生瓯江凤鲚雌雄鱼的发育特征和肌肉营养组成变化规律及差异与生殖洄游产卵的繁殖习性密切相关。     

Influence of Carbon or Nitrogen Starvation on Amino Acid Transport in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa was shown to utilize the majority of commonly occurring amino acids for growth as either the sole carbon or the sole nitrogen source. During carbon or nitrogen deprivation, the rates of transport of most of the amino acids remained unchanged; however, the transport rates for glutamate, alanine, and glycine increased under these conditions and the transport rates for leucine and valine decreased. Normal transport rates for these amino acids were resumed immediately upon the addition of the required nutrient. In the absence of an external source of carbon or of nitrogen, pool amino acids underwent rapid degradation. (14)C-Amino acid pulse experiments indicated that the constitutive amino acid catabolic enzymes, normally present in the organism during growth with glucose as the carbon source, were responsible for rapid pool losses. Nutrient starvation in the presence of chloramphenicol did not prevent amino acid catabolism. This enzymic activity is interpreted as providing P. aeruginosa with a selective advantage for survival during conditions of carbon or nitrogen starvation.     

Nitrogen Metabolism of Vicia faba

Vicia faba plants were grown for four and six weeks without externally supplied nitrogen. Some nitrogen was transported to the plant axis from the cotyledons throughout this period, but the amount available was insufficient to support maximum shoot growth. During this period the protein content of the shoot declined whilst the free amino acids, especially aspartic acid, glutamic acid, histamine and the combined pool for threonine, serine, asparagine and glutamine and ammonia, increased in amount. In contrast to the shoot the protein content of the root increased as did their free amino acid content, but the increase in the latter was less than in the shoot and only the combined value for threonine, serine, asparagines and glutamine increased significantly. During tbe last two weeks growth, some soluble non-amino acid compound appeared to donate nitrogen to the pool of free amino acids in the root and shoot.     

鸡胚蛋孵化期间氨基酸含量的测定

鸡胚蛋在孵化期间 ,其蛋白质、总氨基酸、游离氨基酸从孵化开始逐渐增加 ,1 0d～ 1 9d稳定在一个较高的水平 ,比未孵化的鲜鸡蛋提高 1 %以上 ,胎水氨基酸从第 7d开始形成 ,以后含量稳定在 2 .6～ 2 .6 3g/kg,这些氨基酸组成符合各种人群营养需要。     

Splanchnic and peripheral uptake of amino acids in relation to the gut

There are many complexities and theoretical aspects to consider for studies of amino acid absorption and metabolism by the gut, liver, and peripheral tissues. The experimental approach must vary depending on the amino acid. Whether to sample whole blood or plasma has to be considered carefully. Also, a specific blood vessel has to be chosen for taking samples. A jugular vein can be the poorest sampling site for many studies. The amounts of individual amino acids appearing in portal blood are different from amounts disappearing from the gut lumen. Some are absorbed in amounts equal to that disappearing but most are absorbed in lesser quantities because of intestinal metabolism. Further, the liver removes absorbed amino acids and synthesizes plasma proteins, urea, and glucose. Peripheral tissues, of course, exchange amino acids with protein for normal turnover but also use amino acids for oxidation and transamination. Alanine, glutamine, glycine, and arginine are important in transporting nitrogen out of peripheral tissues in a nontoxic form. Branched-chain amino acids are removed by both liver and peripheral tissues mainly for plasma protein and ketoacid formation, respectively. During fasting, however, muscle releases branched-chain amino acids while removal by liver is maintained.     

Systematic variation of amino acid substitutions for stringent assessment of pairwise covariation

During protein evolution, amino acids change due to a combination of functional constraints and genetic drift. Proteins frequently contain pairs of amino acids that appear to change together (covariation). Analysis of covariation from naturally occurring sets of orthologs cannot distinguish between residue pairs retained by functional requirements of the protein and those pairs existing due to changes along a common evolutionary path. Here, we have separated the two types of covariation by independently recombining every naturally occurring amino acid variant within a set of 15 subtilisin orthologs. Our analysis shows that in this family of subtilisin orthologs, almost all possible pairwise combinations of amino acids can coexist. This suggests that amino acid covariation found in the subtilisin orthologs is almost entirely due to common ancestral origin of the changes rather than functional constraints. We conclude that naturally occurring sequence diversity can be used to identify positions that can vary independently without destroying protein function.