Methionine essentiality

Recently, mutagenesis of the amino acids involved in the H-channel has been reported (Pfitzner et al., 1998 Lee et al., 2000). However, no appreciable effect for many of these mutations has been obtained with regard to enzyme activity and proton-pumping function. Mutagenesis of the amino acids involved in the water pathway would not have any significant effect on the function of this enzyme, since most of the mutated amino acids are likely to widen the water pathway. On the other hand, mutation of Arg-38 with methionine essentially abolishes the enzyme activity (Kannt et al., 1999). 

Crystals of the seven-methionine variant were obtained using 2 M phosphate solutions, pH 6.7, and were found to be isomorphous with wild-type lysozyme (Weaver and Matthews, 1987). A data set to 1.9A resolution, 92% complete was measured. The structure was refined to a crystallographic residual of 15.2% with bond lengths and angles within O.ISA and 3.0° of ideal values and found to be similar to wild-type. The root-mean-square discrepancy of the main-chain atoms within the C-terminal domain was 0.20A. The Xi and Xi values of the mutant side-chains were similar to those in wild-type except at position 153 where Xi changed by 92° and avoided a steric clash (Table III). Thus, each of the substituted methionines essentially traces the path of... 

As constituents of proteins the amino-acids are important constituents of the food of animals. Certain amino-acids can be made in the body from ammonia and non-nitrogenous sources others can be made from other amino-acids, e.g. tyrosine from phenylalanine and cystine from methionine, but many are essential ingredients of the diet. The list of essential amino-acids depends partly on the species. See also peptides and proteins. 

Because of the simplicity of swiae and poultry feeds, most feed manufacturers add vitamins (qv) and trace minerals to ensure an adequate supply of essential nutrients. Amino acids (qv) such as methionine [7005-18-7] lysiae [56-87-17, threonine [36676-50-3] and tryptophan [6912-86-3], produced by chemical synthesis or by fermentation (qv), are used to fortify swiae and poultry diets. The use of these supplements to provide the essential amino acids permits diets with lower total cmde proteia coateat. 

Arsenic. Arsenic is under consideration for inclusion as an essential element. No clear role has been estabHshed, but aresenic, long thought to be a poison, may be involved in methylation of macromolecules and as an effector of methionine metaboHsm (158,160). Most research has focused on the toxicity or pharmaceutical properties of arsenic (158). 

Although molybdenum is an essential element, excess levels can have deleterious effects. The LD q and TLV values of the most common Mo compounds are Hsted in Table 3 (63,64). In general the toxicity of Mo compounds is considered to be low. For example, M0S2 has been found to be virtually nontoxic even at high levels. Certain Mo compounds such as MoCl and Mo(CO), have higher toxicity because of the chemical nature and reactivity of these compounds rather than the Mo content. Supplementary dietary Cu ", thiosulfate, methionine, and cysteine have been shown to be effective in alleviating Mo toxicity in animals. 

The nutritional value of a proteia can be improved by the addition of amino acids of low abundance ia that proteia. Thus the fortification of plant proteias such as wheat, com, and soybean with L-lysiae, DL-methionine, or other essential amino acids (L-tryptophan and L-threonine) is expected to alleviate some food problems (11). Such fortification has been widespread ia the feedstuff of domestic animals. 

Currently available proteins are all deficient to greater or lesser extent in one or more of the essential amino acids. The recently advanced plastein reaction (229) has made it possible to use protein itself as substrate and to attach amino acid esters to the protein with high efficiency. By this method, soy bean protein (which is deficient in methionine) has been improved to the extent of having covalently attached L-methionine at 11%. 

As an example of analysis of side-chain dihedral angles, the Bayesian analysis of methionine side-chain dihedrals is given in Table 3 for the ri = rotamers. In cases where there are a large number of data—for example, the (3, 3, 3) rotamer—the data and posterior distributions are essentially identical. These are normal distributions with the averages and standard variations given in the table. But in cases where there are few data. 

In terms of amino acids bacterial protein is similar to fish protein. The yeast s protein is almost identical to soya protein fungal protein is lower than yeast protein. In addition, SCP is deficient in amino acids with a sulphur bridge, such as cystine, cysteine and methionine. SCP as a food may require supplements of cysteine and methionine whereas they have high levels of lysine vitamins and other amino acids. The vitamins of microorganisms are primarily of the B type. Vitamin B12 occurs mostly hi bacteria, whereas algae are usually rich in vitamin A. The most common vitamins in SCP are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, choline, folic acid, inositol, biotin, B12 and P-aminobenzoic acid. Table 14.4 shows the essential amino acid analysis of SCP compared with several sources of protein. 

N5-Methyltetrahydrofolate homocysteine methyl-transferase (= methionine synthase). This reaction is essential to restore tetrahydrofolate from N5-methyltetrahydrofolate (Fig. 2). 

In rheumatoid arthritis the damage that is found in joints may also be a result of the inactivation of a-1-PI due to the oxidation of an essential methionine(s) residue in this protein. It has been found that a-l-PI purified from the synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis contained four Met(O) residues and was not able to form a binary complex with elastase89. It is probable that the presence of the Met(Oj residues in a-l-PI from these patients results from a high level of oxidants produced by neutrophils in the inflammed joint. 

Cysteine. Cysteine, while not nutritionally essential, is formed from methionine, which is nutritionally essential. Following conversion of methionine to ho-... 

Not all proteins are nutritionally equivalent. Mote of some than of others is needed to maintain nittogen balance because different proteins contain different amounts of the various amino acids. The body s requirement is for specific amino acids in the correct proportions to replace the body proteins. The amino acids can be divided into two groups essential and nonessential. There are nine essential or indispensable amino acids, which cannot be synthesized in the body histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. If one of these is lacking or inadequate, then—regardless of the total intake of protein—it will not be possible to maintain nitrogen balance since there will not be enough of that amino acid for protein synthesis. 

Two amino acids—cysteine and tyrosine—can be synthesized in the body, but only from essential amino acid ptecutsots (cysteine from methionine and tyrosine from phenylalanine). The dietary intakes of cysteine and tytosine thus affect the requirements for methionine and phenylalanine. The remaining 11 amino acids in proteins are considered to be nonessential or dispensable, since they can be synthesized as long as there is enough total protein in the diet—ie, if one of these amino acids is omitted from the diet, nitrogen balance can stiU be maintained. Howevet, only three amino acids—alanine, aspartate, and glutamate—can be considered to be truly dispensable they ate synthesized from common metabolic intetmediates (pyruvate, ox-... 

Birds eat sufficient food to satisfy their energy intake, but this does not mean that they will eat enough protein, unless the protein proportion in the rotation is high. Protein quality is also important, the two most essential amino acids being lysine and methionine. The best quality protein for all poultry is white fishmeal (banned only for ruminants by the Soil Association). The best vegetable protein is soya bean which is low in methionine, but this can be made up by using sunflower meal in the ration. 

The grain or pulse forms of legumes have a high total protein content (20-26%) and can therefore be used as a natural supplement to cereals. Pulses are normally deficient in the essential amino acids methionine and cystine but contain enough lysine, whereas cereals are deficient in lysine but contain enough methionine and cystine. 

Many substances which are necessary (and even essential) for life functions contain sulphur for example, the amino acids cysteine and methionine, the tripeptide glutathione or coenzyme A (CoA), with the latter containing the SH group of cys-teamine as the terminal functional group. CoA acts as a coenzyme in all important biochemical acylations. The cysteamine SH group bonds to carboxylic acids to give thioesters ... 

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