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Amino Acids and Related Compounds in Health and Disease
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Amino Acids and Related Compounds in Health and Disease

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2025) | Viewed by 16107

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Natalia Kurhaluk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biology, Pomeranian Uniwersity in Słupsk, Słupsk, Poland
Interests: pollution-induced oxidative damage; toxicity and oxidative injury; heavy metals; ecotoxicology; ecophysiology; nitric oxide; environmental stressors; environmental stressors in human and animal health; antioxidant defense in pathology; redox imbalance in human and animal diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to publish high-quality research on the biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology and toxicology of amino acids and related compounds in health and disease.

This Special Issue focuses on a wide range of topics related to the mechanisms of action of amino acids, including their biosynthesis, metabolism, transport, signaling and functions in the body. Papers on the applications and uses of antioxidant and non-antioxidant mechanisms of amino acids for disease treatment and prevention, homeostatic mechanisms, and adaptive responses and capabilities in animals and humans will be welcomed. We invite you to present various aspects directly discussing the issues related to amino acids and their derivatives.

The aim of the issue is to publish research that advances our understanding of the biological and physiological roles of amino acids in humans and animals, as well as in plants and microbes. This Special Issue describes the roles and functions of amino acids and peptides in nutrition, health and disease, and drug discovery and development. Please consider amino acid metabolism, neurotransmission and signaling by amino acids and related compounds, as well as therapeutic applications of amino acids in neurology, immunology, oncology, metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. We welcome both full-length and short original research papers, hypothesis papers, reviews, etc.

Prof. Dr. Natalia Kurhaluk
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • amino acids
  • metabolism
  • neurotransmission
  • biosynthesis
  • catabolism
  • metabolism
  • diseases
  • health

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1637 KiB  
Article
Dietary Taurine Regulation of the Intestinal Microbiome in Chinese Stripe-Necked Turtle (Mauremys sinensis)
by Yue Yuan, Xin Niu, Chenguang Hao, Lingyue Liang, Zubin Huang, Dongmei Wang, Meiling Hong and Li Ding
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(2), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26020445 - 7 Jan 2025
Viewed by 845
Abstract
Taurine is essential for sustaining the body’s physiological equilibrium and is extensively utilized as a dietary supplement and immune system enhancer for aquatic creatures. The gut microbiota serves as a vital health indicator in animals. In this study, our goal was to evaluate [...] Read more.
Taurine is essential for sustaining the body’s physiological equilibrium and is extensively utilized as a dietary supplement and immune system enhancer for aquatic creatures. The gut microbiota serves as a vital health indicator in animals. In this study, our goal was to evaluate the effects of dietary taurine on the gut microbiome of Chinese stripe-necked turtles (Mauremys sinensis). Turtles were evenly divided into three supplementation groups: a control group with no taurine in the diet, a low group with 0.1% taurine, and a high group with 0.4% taurine. High-throughput sequencing was employed to analyze the gut microbiome’s composition and structure. The results showed that the impact of taurine supplementation on the α-diversity and β-diversity of the gut microbiome was not statistically significant. At the phylum level, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes predominated the gut microbiome. At the genus level, three beneficial bacteria, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_13, Pygmaiobacter, and Terrisporobacter showed significant differences under different levels of taurine supplementation and increased in abundance with the supplementation of taurine, while the harmful bacterium Brucella decreased in abundance with the addition of taurine and exhibited significant differences. Furthermore, LEfSe analysis and functional predictions highlighted significant variations in the functional traits of gram-positive intestinal bacteria among the different taurine supplementation levels. These findings imply that dietary taurine may alter the intestinal microbiome structure in Chinese stripe-necked turtles, offering valuable insights for the scientific assessment of taurine’s health benefits as a feed additive and potentially guiding the formulation of more informed and healthier feeding practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Amino Acids and Related Compounds in Health and Disease)
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16 pages, 1285 KiB  
Article
Different Correlation Patterns Between Circulating Amino Acids and Body Temperature in Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Antonio Casas-Barragán, Francisco Molina, Rosa María Tapia-Haro, José Manuel Martínez-Martos, María Jesús Ramírez-Expósito, Alma Rus, María Correa-Rodríguez and María Encarnación Aguilar-Ferrándiz
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(24), 13517; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252413517 - 17 Dec 2024
Viewed by 963
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the association between circulating amino acids and central and peripheral body temperature in subjects with and without fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). A total of 47 patients with FMS and 59 healthy subjects were included in the [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to analyze the association between circulating amino acids and central and peripheral body temperature in subjects with and without fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). A total of 47 patients with FMS and 59 healthy subjects were included in the study. The concentration of amino acids was determined in serum samples using a fluorimeter coupled with a high-performance liquid chromatography system. An infrared thermography camera was used to estimate peripheral hand temperatures. The core temperature of the body was estimated using an infrared thermometer, which was applied to the axillary and tympanic areas. Correlations between several thermographic variables of the hands and tryptophan, methionine, 3-methylhistidine, histidine, glutamic acid, and tyrosine were identified exclusively within the FMS group. In contrast, correlations between aminoadipic acid and serine and thermographic variables were observed only in the healthy control group. The concentrations of asparagine and lysine correlated with thermographic variables in both groups. The essential amino acid leucine was found to correlate with axillary temperature in FMS patients. However, it should be noted that the observed associations between aminoadipic acid and tryptophan blood concentrations and axillary temperature were limited to the control group. Several correlations were identified between circulating amino acids and different body temperatures in both healthy controls and patients with FMS. However, the correlation pattern differs significantly between FMS patients and healthy controls. These findings suggest the possibility of a change in the function of several amino acids in the thermoregulatory process in patients with FMS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Amino Acids and Related Compounds in Health and Disease)
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28 pages, 6097 KiB  
Article
L-Arginine and Intermittent Hypoxia Are Stress-Limiting Factors in Male Wistar Rat Models
by Natalia Kurhaluk, Oleksandr Lukash, Piotr Kamiński and Halina Tkaczenko
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(22), 12364; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252212364 - 18 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1158
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of L-arginine, intermittent hypoxia training (IHT), and acute stress on oxygen-dependent processes in rats, including mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, microsomal oxidation, and the intensity of lipoperoxidation processes. In addition, our study investigated how [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of L-arginine, intermittent hypoxia training (IHT), and acute stress on oxygen-dependent processes in rats, including mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, microsomal oxidation, and the intensity of lipoperoxidation processes. In addition, our study investigated how the modulatory effect of the NO synthase mechanism on the concentration of catecholamines (CA), such as adrenaline and noradrenaline, and their biosynthetic precursors (DOPA, dopamine) varies depending on the cholinergic (acetylcholine, Ach-acetylcholinesterase, AChE) status in rats. This study investigated the protective stress-limiting effects of L-arginine impact and IHT in the blood and liver of rats. The results showed that L-arginine promoted the maintenance of NAD-dependent oxidation in mitochondria, which was detrimental compared to succinate oxidation, and was accompanied by depletion of respiratory activity reserves under stress induced by high concentrations of CA. The interdependence of SC-dependent oxidation and the functional role of NAD-dependent substrate oxidation in the mitochondrial respiratory chain in stress conditions induced using inhibitors revealed the importance of the NO system. Administration of L-arginine during the IHT course prior to stress exposure increased the compensatory capacity of the organism. L-arginine increased the compensatory capacity of the sympathoadrenal system in stress-exposed rats. In the early stages of IHT, modulation of the CA concentration was observed with a concomitant increase in lipoperoxidation processes, and in the final stages of IHT, the CA concentrations increased, but there was also an inhibition of lipoperoxidation, which was particularly enhanced by the administration of L-arginine. The increase in blood concentrations of CA and ACh was accompanied by a decrease in AChE activity at different stages of adaptation to hypoxia induced by IHT (days 5, 10, and 14). Thus, the IHT method significantly mobilises the reserve capacity of oxygen-dependent processes through the system of CA, ACh-AChE mediated by nitric oxide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Amino Acids and Related Compounds in Health and Disease)
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17 pages, 4921 KiB  
Article
Threonine Deficiency Increases Triglyceride Deposition in Primary Duck Hepatocytes by Reducing STAT3 Phosphorylation
by Zhong Zhuang, Wenqian Jia, Lei Wu, Yongpeng Li, Yijia Lu, Minghong Xu, Hao Bai, Yulin Bi, Zhixiu Wang, Shihao Chen, Yong Jiang and Guobin Chang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(15), 8142; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25158142 - 26 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1507
Abstract
Liver lipid metabolism disruption significantly contributes to excessive fat buildup in waterfowl. Research suggests that the supplementation of Threonine (Thr) in the diet can improve liver lipid metabolism disorder, while Thr deficiency can lead to such metabolic disorders in the liver. The mechanisms [...] Read more.
Liver lipid metabolism disruption significantly contributes to excessive fat buildup in waterfowl. Research suggests that the supplementation of Threonine (Thr) in the diet can improve liver lipid metabolism disorder, while Thr deficiency can lead to such metabolic disorders in the liver. The mechanisms through which Thr regulates lipid metabolism remain unclear. STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), a crucial transcription factor in the JAK-STAT (Janus kinase–signal transducer and activator of transcription) pathway, participates in various biological processes, including lipid and energy metabolism. This research investigates the potential involvement of STAT3 in the increased lipid storage seen in primary duck hepatocytes as a result of a lack of Thr. Using small interfering RNA and Stattic, a specific STAT3 phosphorylation inhibitor, we explored the impact of STAT3 expression patterns on Thr-regulated lipid synthesis metabolism in hepatocytes. Through transcriptome sequencing, we uncovered pathways related to lipid synthesis and metabolism jointly regulated by Thr and STAT3. The results showed that Thr deficiency increases lipid deposition in primary duck hepatocytes (p < 0.01). The decrease in protein and phosphorylation levels of STAT3 directly caused this deposition (p < 0.01). Transcriptomic analysis revealed that Thr deficiency and STAT3 knockdown jointly altered the mRNA expression levels of pathways related to long-chain fatty acid synthesis and energy metabolism (p < 0.05). Thr deficiency, through mediating STAT3 inactivation, upregulated ELOVL7, PPARG, MMP1, MMP13, and TIMP4 mRNA levels, and downregulated PTGS2 mRNA levels (p < 0.01). In summary, these results suggest that Thr deficiency promotes lipid synthesis, reduces lipid breakdown, and leads to lipid metabolism disorders and triglyceride deposition by downregulating STAT3 activity in primary duck hepatocytes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Amino Acids and Related Compounds in Health and Disease)
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Review

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15 pages, 1301 KiB  
Review
Efficacy of a High-Protein Diet to Lower Glycemic Levels in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review
by María Nelly Flores-Hernández, Hilda Martínez-Coria, Héctor E. López-Valdés, Marcela Arteaga-Silva, Isabel Arrieta-Cruz and Roger Gutiérrez-Juárez
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(20), 10959; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252010959 - 11 Oct 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4813
Abstract
Diabetes is a metabolic disease with a high worldwide prevalence and an important factor in mortality and disability in the population. Complications can be reduced or prevented with lifestyle changes in physical activity, dietary habits, and smoking cessation. High-protein diets (HPDs, >30% or [...] Read more.
Diabetes is a metabolic disease with a high worldwide prevalence and an important factor in mortality and disability in the population. Complications can be reduced or prevented with lifestyle changes in physical activity, dietary habits, and smoking cessation. High-protein diets (HPDs, >30% or >1.0 g/Kg/day) decrease hyperglycemia in part due to their content of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), mainly leucine. Leucine (and other BCAAs) improve glucose metabolism by directly signaling in the medio-basal hypothalamus (MBH), increasing liver insulin sensitivity. To determine the effectiveness of an HPD to lower hyperglycemia, we analyzed the results of published clinical studies focusing on the levels of fasting plasma glucose and/or glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We carried out a systematic search for clinical studies using HPDs. We searched five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Epistemonikos, and Cochrane), collecting 179 articles and finally selecting 8 articles to analyze their results. In conclusion, HPDs are an effective alternative to reduce hyperglycemia in patients with T2DM, especially so-called Paleolithic diets, due to their higher-quality protein from animal and vegetal sources and their exclusion of grains, dairy products, salt, refined fats, and added sugars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Amino Acids and Related Compounds in Health and Disease)
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18 pages, 3556 KiB  
Review
Origin and Roles of Alanine and Glutamine in Gluconeogenesis in the Liver, Kidneys, and Small Intestine under Physiological and Pathological Conditions
by Milan Holeček
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(13), 7037; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25137037 - 27 Jun 2024
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 5986
Abstract
Alanine and glutamine are the principal glucogenic amino acids. Most originate from muscles, where branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine) are nitrogen donors and, under exceptional circumstances, a source of carbons for glutamate synthesis. Glutamate is a nitrogen source for alanine synthesis [...] Read more.
Alanine and glutamine are the principal glucogenic amino acids. Most originate from muscles, where branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine) are nitrogen donors and, under exceptional circumstances, a source of carbons for glutamate synthesis. Glutamate is a nitrogen source for alanine synthesis from pyruvate and a substrate for glutamine synthesis by glutamine synthetase. The following differences between alanine and glutamine, which can play a role in their use in gluconeogenesis, are shown: (i) glutamine appearance in circulation is higher than that of alanine; (ii) the conversion to oxaloacetate, the starting substance for glucose synthesis, is an ATP-consuming reaction for alanine, which is energetically beneficial for glutamine; (iii) most alanine carbons, but not glutamine carbons, originate from glucose; and (iv) glutamine acts a substrate for gluconeogenesis in the liver, kidneys, and intestine, whereas alanine does so only in the liver. Alanine plays a significant role during early starvation, exposure to high-fat and high-protein diets, and diabetes. Glutamine plays a dominant role in gluconeogenesis in prolonged starvation, acidosis, liver cirrhosis, and severe illnesses like sepsis and acts as a substrate for alanine synthesis in the small intestine. Interactions among muscles and the liver, kidneys, and intestine ensuring optimal alanine and glutamine supply for gluconeogenesis are suggested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Amino Acids and Related Compounds in Health and Disease)
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