BIOC 311 Lecture Notes - Lecture 27: Histidine, Homeostasis, Basal Rate
18 Jun 2016
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Document Summary
Fundamental biology: essential for human body, building blocks of proteins, energy metabolites, nutrients, chemical messengers. E. g. tyrosine is the precursor of neurotransmitter dopamine. Illustration of complex regulations (important intermediates various pathways) Clinical relevance to study aa metabolism: improper regulation causes human disorders => Inherited human defects in amino acid metabolism, leading to incorrect aa uptake or catabolism. Symptoms are usually brain damage and mental retardation. Pku: in normal patients, phenylalanine is converted to tyrosine, which can then be used as template for neurotransmitter production. In pku patients, a mutation affects the enzyme that converts p to y leading to build- up of phenylalanine => severe mental retardation, seizures. Detection early on of the disease is now possible by a simple test done on newborns. When pku is diagnosed , a treatment is now available consisting in restriction of phenylalanine in diet. Cancer cells when acquire mutations, undergo uncontrolled cell division.
