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2) Biochemistry II > Synthesis of Amino Acids > Flashcards

Synthesis of Amino Acids Flashcards

1
Q

Which amino acids can bacteria and plants synthesize?

A

All the amino acids

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2
Q

Which amino acids can mammals synthesize?

A

Only synthesize 10 amino acids from intermediates of metabolic pathways due to a lack of enzymatic machinery

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3
Q

Are all intermediates a source of an amino group?

A
  • NO; most only have a carbon backbone

- Glutamate and Glutamine are the sources of the amino group

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4
Q

What is the mnemonic for the essential amino acids?

A

Vegetarian Prescribed High Lipid Meal To Increase Triglyceride Levels

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5
Q

What are the 9 essential amino acids?

A 
Valine
Phenylalanine
Histidine
Methionine
Threonine
Isoleucine
Tryptophan
Leucine
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6
Q

What are non-standard amino acids termed? Provide examples.

A
  • Non-protein coding amino acids

- Ex: GABA, homocysteine, man-made amino acids

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7
Q

What is the 21st amino acids? What is it derived from? Where can it be synthesized?

A
  • Selenocysteine
  • Formed from selenium
  • Synthesized on tRNA from cysteine
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8
Q

Selenocysteine is coded by what? In what types of situations?

A
  • UGA in a context-depending manner

- UGA does not ALWAYS code for selenocysteine (it is normally a stop-codon)

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9
Q

What is the 22nd amino acid? In what organisms is it utilized in?

A
  • Pyrrolysine
  • Utilized in methane-producing bacteria
  • NOT utilized in mammals or Eukaryotes
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10
Q

What is tyrosine derived from?

A
  • Phenylalanine (essential)

- Tyrosine (conditionally essential)

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11
Q

What can a-ketoglutarate synthesize?

A

Glutamate

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12
Q

What can glutamate synthesize?

A
  • Glutamine
  • Proline
  • Arginine
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13
Q

Why are glutamine, proline, and arginine conditionally essential?

A

The enzymatic machinery that converts glutamate to theses AA may not be efficient in certain situations

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14
Q

3-phosphoglycerate is an intermediate of what?

A

Glycolysis

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15
Q

What can 3-phosphoglycerate synthesize?

A

Serine

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16
Q

What can serine synthesize?

A
  • Glycine (conditionally essential)

- Cysteine (conditionally essential)

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17
Q

What can oxaloacetate synthesize?

A

Aspartate

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18
Q

What can aspartate synthesize?

A
  • Asparagine
  • Methionine
  • Lysine
  • Threonine
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19
Q

Why is asparagine a special amino acid?

A
  • For reasons unknown, certain malignant lymphocytes require Asparagine for growth
  • Enzymes involved in the synthesis of Asparagine from Aspartate are targeted for cancer therapy
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20
Q

Is asparagine essential, non-essential, or conditionally essential?

A

Conditionally essential

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21
Q

Is alanine essential, non-essential, or conditionally essential?

A

Non-essential

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22
Q

What can pyruvate synthesize?

A
  • Alanine
  • Valine
  • Leucine
  • Isoleucine
23
Q

In what organisms may phenylalanine be synthesized to produce tyrosine?

A

In mammals alone

24
Q

What produces phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan?

A

Phosphoenolpyruvate + erythrose 4-phosphate

25
What can ribose-5-phosphate synthesize?
Histidine
26
Is the pentose phosphate pathway important for amino acid synthesis in mammals? Why/why not?
- Not important | - Since histidine is an essential amino acid
27
What is the consequence of an accumulation of porphyrin intermediates?
Porphyria diseases
28
What are the two steps to heme synthesis?
1) Glycine interacts with Succinyl-CoA | 2) Delta-Aminolevulinate (8) are combined and hydrated
29
Plants and most bacteria synthesize Delta-Aminolevulinate from what?
Glutamate
30
What does glycine need to interact with to produce Delta-Aminolevulinate?
Succinyl-CoA
31
How many Delta-Aminolevulinate must be combined in heme synthesis?
8
32
The combination of 8 Delta-Aminolevulinate and hydration results in what?
Porphobilinogen, creating the first benzene ring structure
33
How is protoporphryin created? What must be incorporated to produce heme?
- Through the addition of ring structures to porphobilinogen | - When protoporphryin incorporates iron = heme
34
What acts as a precursor for bile pigments through bile acid synthesis?
Heme
35
What does heme oxygenase do?
- Removes CO and Fe3+ from heme | - Converts heme to biliverdin
36
What does biliverdin reductase do?
Reduces biliverdin to produce bilirubin
37
Where is bilirubin transported to? What is it bound to?
Bilirubin is transported in the blood with serum albumin into the liver
38
What does Glucoronyl-bilirubin transferase do?
Converts bilirubin to bilirubin diglucoronide, which is secreted in the intestine
39
What happens bilirubin diglucoronide in the intestine?
Bacteria converts it to urobilinogen
40
What are the two possible pathways of urobilinogen?
- Transported to the kidney and converted to urobilin (excreted) - Converted to stercobilin in the intestine (excreted)
41
What happens when someone gets a bruise?
- When heme escapes, it loses oxygen and appears purple-black - Hours: heme is converted to biliverdin (green) - Days: bilirubin (yellow)
42
What is the consequence of an accumulation of bilirubin?
Jaundice (infants)
43
Which amino acids is creatine derived from?
- Glycine - Arginine - Methionine
44
How does creatine become phosphocreatine?
Phosphorylated by creatine kinase
45
What is the function of phosphocreatine?
- Stores phosphate groups for ATP synthesis | - Buffer system for muscular ATP
46
What did Dr. Lucy Willis do in the Serendipity Leukemia treatment?
- Folate treatment for macrolytic anemia | - India
47
What did Dr. Y Subbarao do in the Serendipity Leukemia treatment?
- Purified creatine and ATP | - Methotrexate
48
What did Dr. Sidney Farbey do in the Serendipity Leukemia treatment?
- Methotrexate treatment for leukemia | - "Anti-folate"
49
What is glutathione synthesized from?
- Glutamate - Cysteine - Glycine
50
What is the function of glutathione?
Prevents oxidative damage
51
What is epinephrine derived from? What is its function?
- Tyrosine | - Fight or flight
52
What is GABA derived from? What is its function?
- Glutamate - Main inhibitory signal in the CNS - Needed for muscle tone
53
What is histamine derived from? What is its function?
- Histidine - Released during allergic reactions - Stimulates HCl secretion in the stomach
54
What is serotonin derived from? What is its function?
- Tryptophan - Regulates intestinal movement - "Feel-good" hormone

2) Biochemistry II (23 decks)

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