Section VI (Chapters 36-39) Flashcards
Fate of amino acid nitrogen in liver (fasting)
AA nitrogen (from alanine or others) converted in liver => urea (excreted in urine by kidney)
Fate of amino acid nitrogen in kidneys (fasting)
AA nitrogen (glutamine) converted to alanine removing NH3 in kidney => ammonia excreted in urine and alanine transported to liver
What is the form of nitrogen excreted by the kidney?
Kidney secrete NH4+ in urine to form salts with metabolic acids, facilitating their excretion
What is the role of ammonia in urine?
Ammonia (NH3) neutralizes the acidity of the urine
What are the biochemical methods for removing nitrogen from amino acids?
Transamination: move amino-group from AA to α-keto acid (α-KG) to form another AA (Glu); enzyme used is pyridoxal phosphate
Deamination: Glu, Asp, Ser, Thr & His can be dehydrated & release NH4+
Which 2 amino acids CANNOT undergo transamination?
lysine and threonine
What is the role of pyridoxal phosphate in amino acid metabolism?
PLP is a cofactor for transamination, and assists with deamination of serine and threonine
What are the major symptoms of PLP deficiency?
PLP/VitB6 deficiency affects AA metabolism, heme synthesis, glycogen phosphorylase & NT synthesis => dementia, dermatitis, anemia, weakness & convulsion
What is the reaction that produce ammonia in the body?
Deamination & deamidation (Gln/Asn) => NH4+
What is the fate of urea that enters the gut?
Becomes NH4+, then transported to muscle or brain for PNC
How does aminotransferases (transaminases) coordinately funnel amino groups into urea?
α-KG and aspartate and transaminase=> glutamate (NH4+)
How does glutaminase coordinately funnel amino groups into urea?
Glutaminase and glutamine => glutamate (NH4+)
How does glutamate dehydrogenase coordinately funnel amino groups into urea?
Glutamate and glutamate dehydrogenase (with NAD+ or NADP+) => a- KG and NH4+
What is the glucose alanine cycle?
Glucose-alanine cycle refer to the moving of carbon/nitrogen between liver/muscle;
muscles glycolysis makes pyruvate which is converted to Ala by transamination, then sent to liver => broken down to urea + glucose => back to muscle
How does glutamine & alanine help get rid the body of toxic ammonia?
In tissues, α-KG => Glu by glutamate dehydrogenase and picking up NH4 with NADPH oxidation=> Gln by glutamine synthetase and picking up NH4+ with ATP use, then sent to liver => breakdown to Glu + NH4+ by glutaminase => α-KG + NH4+ by glutamate dehydrogenase => urea
What is nitrogen balance?
Nitrogen balance: N ingested= N excreted; (+) = over-ingestion vs (-) = over-excrete
Synthesis of urea by the urea cycle, identifying the sources of the amino groups of urea
N source: NH4+ & Asp
1. NH4+, CO2, H2O, HCO3 use CPSI=> carbamoyl-P
2. CP + ornithine with orn. Transcarbamolyase => citrulline
3. Cirtrullene exported from cell mt, + aspartate, ATP with arginonsuccinate synthetase=> arginosuccinate
4. Arginosuccinate + lyase=> fumarate & arginine
5. Arginine with arginase => Urea & ornithine (back into mitochondria to contribute to 2)
What is the role NAG/N-acetylglutamate in the urea cycle?
- allosterically activates CPSI
- synthesized from acetyl CoA and glutamate, stimulated by arginine
- results in induction/repression of synthesis of urea cycle enzymes
What are the consequences of NH3 toxicity?
↑NH3 is toxic to nervous system
Glutamine levels rise, a-KG no longer generated so no longer able to fix free ammonia
Brain swelling due to osmotic imbalance from high ammonia and glutamine
What is the treatment for Hyperammonemia & urea cycle disorders? What if the enzyme defect comes after the synthesis of argininosuccinate?
Low protein diet
Arginine supplementation which helps form arginosuccinate causing ↑ornithine by arginase & enhance urea excretion by arginosuccinate
What is the impact of benzoic acid & phenylbutyrate on hyperammonemia & urea cycle disorders?
Benzoic acid or phenylbutyrate supplementation causes conjugation of Gly to form hippuric=> excreted; Phenylbutrate binds Gln => excreted
Both tx removed AAs from body and force body to use nitrogen to synthesize more Gly/Gln
What are the cofactors needed for amino acid metabolism?
PLP/vitB: transamination, deamination, decarboxylation, racemization, β/γ-elimination
FH4/Folate: transfer 1-C-groups;
BH4: ring hydroxylation => Tyr/NT
What are non-essential amino acids?
Asp, Asn, Gly, Ser, Ala, Cys, Tyr, Glu, Gln, Pro & Arg
What are essential amino acids?
Phe, His, Iso, Lys, Leu, Met, Thr, Val, Trp
What does glucogenic amino acids mean?
Can convert to precursor of glucose
What does ketogenic amino acids mean?
Can convert to acetyl-CoA or acetoacetate
What amino acids are ketogeneic?
Leu, Lys (Leucine & lysine)
What are the nonessential amino acids made from or metabolized back to glycolytic intermediates?
Ser, Ala, Cys, Thr, Gly & Trp
What are the nonessential amino acids can be made from/metabolized to TCA intermediates?
Asp, Asn, Glu, Gln, Pro, Arg, His, Met, Thr, Val, Iso, Phe & Tyr
Why is arginine is an essential amino acid in a newborn, not an adult?
Urea-cycle synthesis of Arg (protein synthesis) cannot support growth in newborn, need more than what is synthesized
What is cystathioninuria?
Benign presence of cystathionine in urine due to cystathionase deficiency
What is cystinuria?
Inability to transport cys/lys/arg/ornithine into intestine => renal stones
What is homocystinuria?
Disorders in the metabolism of homocysteine; inherited as autosomal recessive
high plasma/urinary levels of homocysteine and methionine and low levels of cysteine