Amino Acids最新文献

{"title":"Analysis of total and free amino acid compositions of fishery byproducts from three commonly consumed fish species in South Korea.","authors":"Jeonghoon Han, Ji-Yeon Hyeon, Yeon-Ju Lee, Han-Jun Kim, Eunseong Lee, Young-Ung Choi","doi":"10.1007/s00726-026-03526-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-026-03526-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Largehead hairtail (Trichiurus japonicus), kwangtung skate (Dipturus kwangtungensis), and mottled skate (Raja pulchra) are the most popular aquatic products in Korea. In the present study, total and free amino acid analyses were performed to confirm the usability of byproducts from largehead hairtail (head and fins) and skates (skin and liver). Amino acid contents were determined using specific methods and high-performance liquid chromatography. Notably, 18 types of total amino acids and 19 free amino acids were identified in the byproducts of largehead hairtail, kwangtung skate, and mottled skate. Among the amino acids, the total amino acids glycine and glutamate/glutamine and the free amino acids leucine, alanine, and glycine exhibited the highest contents in the byproducts of the three species, indicating that the byproducts contained high-quality proteins. Conclusively, these results suggest that the byproducts are potential materials for producing nutritious foods, protein supplements, cosmetics, functional materials, and nutraceuticals. Overall, these data indicate that fishery byproducts can be used as recyclable resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":7810,"journal":{"name":"Amino Acids","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147863329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PCLPred: identifying plant chloride transport-related proteins using reduced amino acid alphabets and N-peptide composition.","authors":"Ge Bai, Lijia Liu, Hui Zhang, Ruimei Geng, Yong Li, Dahai Yang, Mingliang Fei, Tao Pang, Hao Wang, Aiguo Yang, He Xie, Hao Eang","doi":"10.1007/s00726-026-03523-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-026-03523-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chloride transport-related proteins play critical roles in coordinating ion cycling, maintaining cellular homeostasis, and enabling plants to dynamically adapt to environmental changes, particularly under salt stress conditions. Given the rapid accumulation of protein sequence data, the experimental identification of proteins is time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, efficient computational methods are urgently needed as a practical supplement to experimental research. Here, we present PCLPred, an SVM-based predictor that integrates reduced amino acid alphabets with N-peptide composition to represent protein sequences. We systematically evaluated 673 reduction schemes and selected an optimal encoding strategy for model training. PCLPred demonstrated superior performance compared to baseline models, achieving an overall accuracy of 95.10% and an AUC of 0.981 in nested cross-validation. Altogether, PCLPred provides an efficient and reliable tool for high-throughput screening of candidate plant chloride transport-related proteins, facilitating functional annotation and experimental validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7810,"journal":{"name":"Amino Acids","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147832686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Targeting the amino acid metabolic axis: the Achilles' heel of tumor cells.","authors":"Zheyu Hu, Yiwei Wang, Qian Ma","doi":"10.1007/s00726-026-03522-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-026-03522-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cancer is characterized by profound reprogramming of its metabolic programs, with the unending demand for exogenous amino acids by tumor cells serving as a hallmark manifestation. While this high dependency supports rapid proliferation, it exposes a critical vulnerability: disruption of amino acid supply can specifically trigger metabolic catastrophe in cancer cells. Furthermore, tumor cells exploit this metabolic reprogramming to deplete key amino acids in the microenvironment, thereby suppressing T-cell function and facilitating immune evasion. This review systematically elucidates therapeutic strategies targeting four critical amino acid metabolic axes (glutamine, arginine, tryptophan, and methionine). We delve into how inhibition of glutamine metabolism disrupts tumor bioenergetics, how arginine deprivation selectively targets cells with synthetic defects, and how methionine restriction interferes with key epigenetic regulation. Additionally, we explore interventions for these four amino acid metabolic axes to reverse immunosuppression. Convincing preclinical and clinical evidence demonstrates that these strategies, whether as monotherapy or rational combinations with conventional treatments, exhibit significant antitumor efficacy and substantial clinical translation potential. By integrating metabolic and immunological perspectives and critically assessing translational challenges, this review aims to provide a roadmap for future development of precision combination strategies capable of overcoming drug resistance and reshaping the immune microenvironment.</p>","PeriodicalId":7810,"journal":{"name":"Amino Acids","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147715616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maternal dietary citrulline supplementation increases fetal growth and programs pancreatic development in the lambs.","authors":"Alissa B Herring, Kyle S Herron, London G Lemcke, Gregory A Johnson, M Carey Satterfield","doi":"10.1007/s00726-026-03520-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-026-03520-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), caused by maternal undernutrition, impairs fetal growth and increases the risk for postnatal metabolic dysfunction. L-arginine can mitigate these effects; however, its use in sheep is limited by ruminal microbial degradation. Interestingly, L-citrulline, the precursor for arginine synthesis, bypasses ruminal catabolism and may be a practical alternative. This study evaluated if maternal L-citrulline supplementation to nutrient restricted ewes from gestational days (GD) 28 to 140 (term = 147) enhances fetal growth in lambs. Gestating ewes were fed 50% of National Research Council (NRC) nutritional recommendations to induce IUGR and received either L-citrulline (0.40% of diet) or an isonitrogenous alanine control (0.61% of diet). Birth weight and pre-suckling blood samples were collected, and lambs remained with dams until postnatal day 60 (PND60) (citrulline: n = 13; alanine: n = 10). Lambs from L-citrulline treated ewes were heavier at birth (P = 0.05) and PND60 (P < 0.05), with greater (P < 0.05) absolute weights of the pancreas, brain, liver, and small intestine. Pancreatic mass per gram of body weight was greater (P < 0.05) in citrulline lambs. The relative proportion of endocrine and exocrine pancreas were not different between treatments. Circulating insulin concentrations were greater (P = 0.05) at birth and circulating glucose concentrations were increased (P < 0.05) in the citrulline lambs on PND60. These results suggest that maternal L-citrulline supplementation is a viable alternative to arginine for improving fetal growth during maternal malnutrition, with benefits persisting through weaning.</p>","PeriodicalId":7810,"journal":{"name":"Amino Acids","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147697065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revisiting the antizyme 1 - ODC interaction reveals low-nanomolar affinity.","authors":"Grzegorz P Bereta, Elżbieta Wątor-Wilk, Paweł Kochanowski, Jakub Nowak, Tomasz Kantyka, Przemysław Grudnik","doi":"10.1007/s00726-026-03519-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-026-03519-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in polyamine biosynthesis and is one of the shortest-lived mammalian proteins. Its activity and proteasomal degradation are controlled by antizyme (AZ), which disrupts the active ODC homodimer and exposes proteasome-interacting surfaces. Disturbance of the polyamine biosynthesis pathway and their overproduction is associated with multiple diseases, including cancers. We employed activity assays and direct interaction analysis methods to quantify ODC-AZ interaction. Fluorometric activity assay, surface plasmon resonance, microscale thermophoresis and spectral shift assays allowed consistent determination of AZ-ODC binding with previously unavailable sensitivity. Contrary to former studies of this interaction, we show that binding of AZ to ODC occurs with a single-digit nanomolar affinity. Collectively, our orthogonal assays converge on a low-nanomolar interaction (apparent K_D 1-4 nM in solution), affinity substantially stronger than previous estimates in the 200-700 nM range. Our results provide new insight into the functioning of the ODC regulatory network, which affects the downstream polyamine synthesis pathway. Such sensitive tools are needed for screening compound libraries and characterizing promising candidates that could affect ODC activity and consequently, polyamine levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":7810,"journal":{"name":"Amino Acids","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147697083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reprogramming of nitrogen metabolism in tumors: mechanisms and therapeutic implications.","authors":"Jiaqi Fang, Jing Ling, Xinyue Liu, Yanbin Wang, Yongbiao Huang, Zhe Cao, Yanmei Zou, Hua Xiong","doi":"10.1007/s00726-026-03517-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-026-03517-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nitrogen metabolism plays a key role in maintaining normal physiological functions of the organism and cell proliferation and differentiation. Nitrogen metabolism in normal human body maintains a dynamic balance to meet the body's demand for synthesis of biological macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. However, in the process of tumor development, the nitrogen metabolism of tumor cells is reprogrammed to meet the demand of rapid proliferation, showing significantly different metabolic characteristics from normal cells. Key enzymes in the tumor microenvironment affect nitrogen metabolism through multiple mechanisms, providing essential nitrogen sources and energy for tumor cells. In-depth exploration of the regulatory mechanisms of tumor nitrogen metabolism not only helps to reveal the molecular basis of tumor development, but also provides a theoretical basis for the development of new tumor therapeutic strategies. In this paper, the relationship between nitrogen metabolism and tumors is systematically elaborated from the characteristics of nitrogen metabolism in normal people, the reprogramming of nitrogen metabolism in tumor patients, the influence of key enzymes on nitrogen metabolism in the tumor microenvironment, as well as the mechanism of tumor nitrogen metabolism regulation, etc., so as to provide references for the related research.</p>","PeriodicalId":7810,"journal":{"name":"Amino Acids","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147669921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spider peptides from Brachypelma smithi with slightly different amino acids at their C-terminal loops exert different insecticidal activities.","authors":"Herlinda Clement, Lilu Corrales-García, Víctor Carpanta, Galilea Jaimes, Pavel Andrei Montero-Domínguez, Elia Diego-García, Gerardo Corzo","doi":"10.1007/s00726-026-03521-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-026-03521-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The insecticidal molecules of spiders persistently evolve to ensure rapid paralysis of their prey, and the best molecules are transmitted to their progeny. Here, we cloned two insecticidal peptides, Bs2 and Bs3, from the venom glands of the theraphosid Brachypelma smithi. Bs2 and Bs3 are 90.2% identical, but they exhibit interesting structural differences at their C-termini, including a connecting disulfide bond (residues Cys15-Cys36 for Bs2 and Cys15-Cys30 for Bs3). The genomic origin of Bs2 and Bs3 may be a cause for gene duplication events. Moreover, Bs2 differs in two residues from Tal1 (95.1% identical), an insecticidal peptide, from the tarantula Tliltocatl albopilosus. Likewise, Bs3 is similar to Asp3a from Aphonopelma sp., a peptide that targets mammalian Cav (voltage-dependent Ca2 + channel), but it has not been tested in insects. Bs2 and Bs3 were cloned and recombinantly expressed in bacterial cells, and their paralytic effects were tested on three species of insects. The insecticidal peptide rBs2 with the connecting loop Cys15-Cys36 was significantly more insecticidal than that of rBs3 when affecting Galleria mellonella larvae (Lepidoptera). Yet, the insecticidal peptide rBs3 with the connecting loop Cys15-Cys30 was significantly more insecticidal than that of rBs2 when affecting Acheta domesticus nymph crickets (Orthoptera), and Gromphadorhina portentosa cockroaches (Blattodea). rBs2 and rBs3 structural models show a low-structured C-terminal in rBs3, which correlates with a more flexible amino acid sequence of such C-terminal from residues Tyr30 to Leu42. Since insecticidal spider peptides are constantly evolving for prey capture, they are valuable ion channel antagonists for understanding insect cell receptors, and they are also promising leads for insect control.</p>","PeriodicalId":7810,"journal":{"name":"Amino Acids","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147643732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The remarkable legacy of the K6/ODC mouse: mechanisms of polyamine-promoted tumorigenesis revealed","authors":"Susan K. Gilmour","doi":"10.1007/s00726-026-03514-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00726-026-03514-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Using the well-studied two-stage model of skin carcinogenesis, the first transgenic mouse with targeted expression of a polyamine metabolic enzyme was generated 30 years ago. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a key regulating enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis, was constitutively expressed in the outer root sheath cells of hair follicles near the bulge stem cell niche using a keratin 6 promoter in K6/ODC mice. Early studies using K6/ODC mice demonstrated that polyamines play an essential role in the early promotional phase of skin tumorigenesis. Treatment with inhibitors of ODC activity blocked the formation of skin tumors and caused the rapid regression of existing tumors. We review how use of the K6/ODC mouse has shown that elevated polyamines in epithelial cells stimulate proliferation and invasiveness, recruit stem cells, alter chromatin remodeling and cell signaling leading to metabolic reprogramming, increase vascularization, activate underlying fibroblasts, and have powerful effects on immune cell function, all contributing to the development and progression of tumors.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7810,"journal":{"name":"Amino Acids","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00726-026-03514-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147589379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"At the core of global bioenergy: polyamines and transglutaminases in chloroplasts.","authors":"Donatella Serafini-Fracassini, Stefano Del Duca","doi":"10.1007/s00726-026-03518-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-026-03518-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chloroplasts are the energy factories of photosynthetic life. The energy and the plant biomass of the planet depend on the activity of chloroplasts. Their efficiency results from a delicate balance between membrane organization, metabolic regulation and the maintenance of protein homeostasis. Among the molecular factors that support chloroplast structure and function, polyamines (PAs) and transglutaminases (TGases) have emerged as key regulators of photosynthetic performance and stress tolerance. PAs stabilize thylakoid membranes, influence proton-motive force partitioning, modulate chlorophyll biosynthesis and protect the photosynthetic apparatus from oxidative damage, thereby contributing to increased photoprotection and delayed senescence. TGases, particularly the plastid-localized isoforms, catalyze the covalent conjugation of PAs to stromal and thylakoid proteins, including RuBisCo and light-harvesting complexes (LHC). These reactions affect protein stability, supramolecular assembly, and the dynamic remodeling of LHC. Light-, pH- and redox-dependent activation of TGases links PA dependent protein modification to the regulation of photosynthetic efficiency and stress responses. This review integrates biochemical, structural and physiological evidence to highlight how PAs and TGases operate at the interface of light-to-chemical energy conversion. Both are involved in membrane organisation and maintaining protein quality. Understanding this molecular network provides new perspectives for improving plant performance, enhancing tolerance to abiotic stress and sustaining biomass production, notably that of agriculture interest, under changing environmental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":7810,"journal":{"name":"Amino Acids","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147509047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of N-acetylcysteine and glutathione in the management of Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review of oxidative biomarkers and clinical outcomes","authors":"Imran Mohammed,&nbsp;Yasimin Nankya,&nbsp;U. Teng Hong,&nbsp;Amy Kan,&nbsp;Alya Masoud Abdelhafid,&nbsp;Gladys O. Latunde-Dada","doi":"10.1007/s00726-026-03513-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00726-026-03513-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, leading to both motor and non-motor symptoms. Oxidative stress is a significant contributor to the pathophysiology of PD, and glutathione (GSH) depletion contributes to neuronal damage. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a bioavailable cysteine donor, can support endogenous GSH synthesis and may also exert antioxidant effects independent of GSH replenishment. NAC and GSH are proposed neuroprotective interventions due to their antioxidant properties. This systematic review evaluated the effects of NAC and GSH on oxidative stress and PD symptoms, comparing them with healthy controls or a placebo. A systematic search was conducted in Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid (Embase and MEDLINE), Scopus, and ProQuest for studies published between January 2003 and December 2024, including randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised studies. Two reviewers assessed the study quality and extracted data. The primary outcome was the change in motor and non-motor symptoms as measured by the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and were interpreted using minimal clinically important difference (MCID) thresholds. Secondary outcomes included biochemical redox markers such as blood GSH, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) GSH, GSSG, and GSH/GSSG ratio and imaging-based functional outcomes, particularly DAT binding assessed by DaTscan SPECT. The GSH/GSSG ratio reflects redox status (reduced vs. oxidised glutathione), CSF outcomes primarily reported NAC concentrations, and brain GSH was quantified using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Exclusion criteria included studies on conditions other than PD, those that did not use NAC or GSH as the primary intervention, and those without a comparator group. Nine studies, conducted between 2009 and 2019, met the inclusion criteria and involved 196 participants. NAC improved both motor and non-motor symptoms and significantly increased GSH/GSSG ratios, GSH levels in the CSF, and DAT binding. In contrast, intranasal GSH showed only modest increases in brain levels without significant improvements in symptoms or oxidative stress markers. The studies had limitations, including small sample sizes, short intervention durations, and inconsistencies in dosage and administration routes. These factors constrain the strength of the conclusions, and evidence for both NAC and GSH remains preliminary. Furthermore, while NAC shows promise as a neuroprotective intervention, findings for GSH are inconclusive. More large-scale, long-term randomised controlled trials are needed to validate these results and explore NAC and GSH’s long-term therapeutic potential in managing PD.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7810,"journal":{"name":"Amino Acids","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00726-026-03513-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147508997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}