AMINO ACID METABOLISM

Types Of Amino Acids

• ESSENTIAL = Unable to produce inside the body so must beSynthesis Of Non-Essential Amino Acid
included in human diet • GLUTAMATE & GLUTAMINE donate their amino group to various carbon skeleton
• NON-ESSENTIAL = Able to produce inside the body so that exist in the cell = Produce majority of non-essential amino acids
don’t need be included in human diet • Needs AMINOTRANSFERASE enzyme (transfer amino acids) and VITAMIN B6 co-
enzymes

Serum Level Of AST Use For Clinical Diagnosis Of Liver Injury

• ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE (ALT) & ASPARTATE AMINOTRANSFERASE (AST)
• Both enzymes abundantly expressed in liver, HEPATOCYTES
• Damage to HEPATOCYTES during liver injury = Leakage of enzyme into bloodstream = Serum levels of ALT & AST released due to
leakage = Increased levels of ALT & AST as sensitive biomarker of liver injury
• BUT Level might be elevated in other medical conditions (ex: CARDIOMYOCYTE’s express AST  Serum AST level increases
significantly after MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION) = Not a very specific diagnostic tool
CATABOLISM OF AMINO ACID
 Proteins and amino acids are not primarily a source of energy = But when cells experience a shortage of energy, amino acids
may undergo catabolism
 DEAMINATION = Removal of an amine group from a molecule as initial step for catabolism
 AMMONIA: Toxic; Detoxified in hepatocytes in urea cycle
 DEAMINATED PRODUCT: Deamination of amino acids produces molecules that can – Enter the citric acid cycle OR Be
converted to glucose (gluconeogenesis)

Gluconeogenesis Urea Cycle

• = Metabolic pathway that results in the • Detoxification of ammonia in the liver
generation of glucose from non- • Ammonia is a highly toxic compound formed in the body during amino acids catabolism
carbohydrate carbon substrates (amino • Gut bacteria produce ammonia that is absorbed in the gut and reaches the liver through hepatic portal vein
acids, pyruvate, lactate) • Liver converts ammonia to urea (non-toxic), which is excreted in the urine