Amino Acids Assemble!

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD. ALL WE DO IS BUILD


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WHAT ARE AMINO ACIDS?


Amino acids are organic compounds used by our bodies to make proteins. They’re basically the building blocks of proteins. Proteins are complex molecules made up of long chains of amino acids. Our bodies have approximately 100,000 different types of proteins that have their own unique functions. Each of these proteins has its own sequence and arrangement of amino acids. The sequence enables the protein to assume a variety of shapes and different functions in our bodies. Proteins can’t exist without amino acids.The first amino acid was discovered in 1806 by two French chemists, Pierre Jean Robiquet and Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin. They were able to extract an unknown compound from asparagus. The unknown compound was later called asparagine. Asparagine was then identified as the first amino acid discovered.


The following is a short history:


1898 The term amino acid was first used.
1902 Franz Hofmeister and Emil Fischer separately found out that proteins are produced from the assembly of amino acids.
1935 Threonine was the last amino acid (of the Magic 20) to be discovered. It was discovered by William Cumming Rose.



THE MAGIC 20


There are approximately 500 amino acids found and identified in nature, but only 20 amino acids make up the numerous proteins in our bodies. These 20 amino acids mix and assemble in various ways to make the numerous proteins in our bodies. Out of the 20 amino acids, our bodies can’t produce nine of them. They’re called essential amino acids or indispensable amino acids because we need to acquire them from the food we eat. The nine essential amino acids include histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine, and tryptophan. Our bodies can produce the remaining 11 of the 20 amino acids, aptly called nonessential amino acids. They’re the following: tyrosine, serine, proline, glycine, glutamine, glutamic acid, cysteine, aspartic acid, asparagine, arginine, and alanine. It's vital to point out that some nonessential amino acids can be categorised as conditional amino acids. They have the potential to be classified as essential when you’re sick or under a lot of sustained stress. This group of conditional amino acids includes serine, proline, glycine, tyrosine, glutamine, cysteine, and arginine.




WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF AMINO ACIDS?


Essential Amino Acids

Our bodies utilise amino acids to produce proteins. How the amino acids are put together ultimately determines a protein's role. In essence, amino acids are included in several roles in our bodies, like helping digest food, repairing injured tissues, producing neurotransmitters and hormones, building muscle, etc. Aside from these, each amino acid plays vital roles by itself (non-protein function).




Below are listed some of the most important tasks of each amino acid:


ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS


Name Major Functions
Histidine Histidine becomes histamine after an enzymatic reaction. Histamine is a neurotransmitters (brain chemical) that helps in gastric secretion, sexual function, sleep, and maturation and activation of immune system cells.
Isoleucine Isoleucine can improve the immune system, support wound healing, and helps in how haemoglobin is made. It also has a role in regulating muscle protein synthesis and body weight.
Leucine Leucine aids in the growth and repair of muscle and bone tissues, wound healing, and blood sugar regulation. It also stimulates muscle protein synthesis and increases the production of growth hormone.
Lysine Lysine is needed in the production of hormones, absorption of calcium from the intestines, and improvement of the immune response.
Methionine Methionine helps in the absorption of minerals like selenium and zinc from the intestines. It also helps in tissue growth, detoxification, and metabolism. Furthermore, it improves the pliability of hair, skin, and reinforces nails.
Phenylalanine Phenylalanine is transformed to tyrosine which is utilised in the production of neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine) and other amino acids.
Threonine Threonine is needed in the production of elastin, collagen, and muscle tissue. It keeps muscles and connective tissues in the body strong and elastic which includes the heart. It helps prevent bleeding by assisting blood clot formation. Also, it’s known to enhance lipid metabolism in the liver.
Tryptophan Tryptophan keeps the body in a positive nitrogen balance. It’s also a precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates appetite, mood, pain, and sleep.
Valine Valine is responsible for tissue repair, muscle growth and coordination, mental vigour, and producing energy.


NONESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS


Name Major Functions
Alanine Alanine is utilised as an energy source for the brain, spinal cord, and muscles. It also boosts the immune system, helps the body use sugar properly, and is used in the breakdown of vitamin B6 and tryptophan.
Arginine Arginine assists in the removal of excess ammonia from the body, aids in wound healing, activates immune function, and initiates the release of hormones like insulin, glucagon, and growth hormone. It also increases production of nitric oxide (relaxes arteries).
Asparagine Asparagine helps in ammonia metabolism. It’s also required for continuous optimal brain development.
Aspartic acid Aspartic acid encourages the production of antibodies. Another form of aspartic acid is involved in testosterone and luteinizing hormone regulation, synthesis, and release.
Cysteine Cysteine serves as one of the constituent amino acids of glutathione, a potent antioxidant. Plays a role in coenzyme A, biotin, and heparin metabolism.
Glutamic acid Glutamic acid is converted to glutamate, a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system.
Glutamine Glutamine is the most versatile and abundant amino acid in our body. It serves as precursor for muscle growth, substrate for glucose production in the liver and kidney, oxidative fuel for immune system and intestinal cells, precursor for neurotransmitters and nucleic acid synthesis, precursor for glutathione production, and helps in acid-base balance in the kidneys.
Glycine Glycine serves as a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system.
Proline Proline helps in antioxidative reactions, immune responses, and wound healing.
Serine Serine is involved in the production of cell membrane lipids, neurotransmission, and folate and methionine cycles.
Tyrosine Tyrosine is a vital component for the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. It’s also the precursor to melanin and thyroxine.



WHAT ARE AMINO ACIDS MADE UP OF? HOW DO AMINO ACIDS BECOME DIFFERENT PROTEINS?


Amino acids are organic chemicals which means that they contain carbon-hydrogen bonds. All of them possess the same basic structure, with each molecule of amino acid having a central carbon atom connected to a hydrogen atom, a carboxylic acid group, a basic amino group, and an R-group (also called the side chain). The side chain is what differentiates the amino acids from each other. It identifies the chemical nature of an amino acid and how it will associate with other amino acids. Amino acids connect together using peptide bonds and transform into amino acid sequences (chains of amino acids). The amino acid sequence is known as the primary structure of proteins. The primary structure of proteins can lead to the folding of the structure, resulting in helices and sheets (folds of alpha helices and beta sheets, respectively). These helices and sheets comprise the secondary structure of proteins. The combination of sequences and folds is called a polypeptide and represents the proteins' tertiary structure. When these polypeptides form multiple chains and subunits, they form molecules of proteins and signify the quaternary structure of a protein. Try to imagine that amino acids are like the letters of the alphabet. If you combine the alphabet letters in different ways, you come up with various words (amino acid sequence = primary). If you combine a group of words, you can come up with a phrase or sentence (helices + sheets = folds or secondary). A sentence can lead to a paragraph (sequences + folds = polypeptide or tertiary), and a paragraph can lead to a story (polypeptide chains + subunits = quaternary). The quaternary structure (or story) of a protein determines the final configuration and function of that protein.




HOW DO WE GET AMINO ACIDS IN OUR DIET?


Protein Group

Essential and non-essential amino acids are found in several varieties of foods. The best and most reliable sources are found in animal proteins like poultry, eggs, and beef. They’re the easiest to digest and absorb by our bodies. Foods that incorporate some but not all of the indispensable amino acids are called incomplete proteins. Examples include seeds, nuts, beans, peas, lentils, and a few grains. If you’re on a vegan diet, you should include many sources of incomplete proteins to make sure you’re getting all nine essential amino acids. Foods with all nine essential amino acids are called complete proteins. Examples include poultry, meat, fish, dairy, eggs, quinoa, and soy (miso, tempeh, and tofu). Click here to know more about quality protein sources. A healthy and balanced diet usually provides the essential amino acids our bodies need to function.

Egg and Powder

The proteins in our bodies can’t exist without amino acids. They serve as the building blocks of proteins. There are 20 different kinds of amino acids, and we require all of them to function optimally. They can be divided into nonessential and essential amino acids. We must eat a balanced diet to get adequate amounts of these amino acids to make proteins.


References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/amino-acids https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557845/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0187893X13725072 https://www.etymonline.com/word/amino- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Franz-Hofmeister https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1902/fischer/biographical/ https://www.jbc.org/article/S0021-9258(20)74369-3/fulltext https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-histidine#section=Top https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/l-isoleucine#section=Top https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-leucine#section=Top https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5962 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-methionine#section=Top https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-phenylalanine https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-threonine#section=Top https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6305 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-valine#section=Top https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/alanine https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6322 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Asparagine https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/424 https://rbej.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1477-7827-7-120 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Cysteine https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/611 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5961 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Glycine https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/145742 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5951 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6057 https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Biochemistry/Book%3A_Biochemistry_Free_For_All_(Ahern_Rajagopal_and_Tan)/02%3A_Structure_and_Function/202%3A_Structure__Function_-_Amino_Acids https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/protein-structure-14122136/ https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/what-is-a-complete-protein https://study.com/learn/lesson/complete-protein-sources-examples.html

Campbell, M. K., Farrell, S. O., & McDougal, O. M. (2016). Biochemistry. Cengage Learning.

Vasudevan, S., S, S., & Vaidyanathan, K. (2019). Textbook of Biochemistry for Medical Students. Macmillan Publishers.


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