From: Biochemical and physiological bases for utilization of dietary amino acids by young Pigs
NEAA | Metabolites or direct action | Major functions |
---|---|---|
NEAA | Proteins | Structural components of the body; cell growth, development, and function |
 | Peptides | Hormones, antibiotics, and antioxidants |
Alanine | Directly | Inhibition of pyruvate kinase and hepatic autophagy; gluconeogenesis; |
 |  | transamination; glucose-alanine cycle; interorgan metabolism and transport of |
 |  | both carbon and nitrogen |
Arginine | Directly | Activation of MTOR signaling; antioxidant; regulation of hormone secretion; |
 |  | allosteric activation of N-acetylglutamate synthase; ammonia detoxification; |
 |  | regulation of gene expression; immune function; activation of tetrahydro- |
 |  | biopterin synthesis; N reservoir; methylation of proteins |
 | Nitric oxide | Signaling molecule; regulator of nutrient metabolism, vascular tone, |
 |  | hemodynamics, angiogenesis, spermatogenesis, embryogenesis, fertility, |
 |  | immune function, hormone secretion, wound healing, neurotransmission, |
 |  | tumor growth, mitochondrial biogenesis and function |
 | Ornithine | Ammonia detoxification; syntheses of proline, glutamate and polyamines; |
 |  | mitochondrial integrity; wound healing |
Asparagine | Directly | Cell metabolism and physiology; regulation of gene expression and immune |
 |  | function; ammonia detoxification; function of the nervous system |
Aspartate | Directly | Purine, pyrimidine, asparagine, and arginine synthesis; transamination; |
 |  | urea cycle; activation of NMDA receptors; synthesis of inositol and β-alanine |
 | D-Aspartate | Activation of NMDA receptors in brain |
Cysteine | Directly | Disulfide linkage in protein; transport of sulfur |
 | Taurine | Antioxidant; regulation of cellular redox state; osmolyte |
 | H2S | A signaling molecule to regulate bloo flow, immunity, and neurological function |
Glutamate | Directly | Glutamine, citrulline, and arginine synthesis; bridging the urea cycle with the |
 |  | Krebs cycle; transamination; ammonia assimilation; flavor enhancer; activation of NMDA receptors; N-acetylglutamate synthesis |
 | GABA | Inhibitory or excitatory neurotransmitter depending on region in brain and type |
 |  | of receptor; regulation of neuronal excitability of throughout the nervous |
 |  | system; modulation of muscle tone; inhibition of T-cell response and inflammation |
Glutamine | Directly | Regulation of protein turnover through cellular MTOR signaling, gene |
 |  | expression, and immune function; a major fuel for rapidly proliferating cells; |
 |  | inhibition of apoptosis; syntheses of purine, pyrimidine, ornithine, citrulline, arginine, proline, and asparagines; N reservoir ; synthesis of NAD(P) |
 | Glu and Asp | Excitatory neurotransmitters; components of the malate shuttle; cell |
 |  | Metabolism; ammonia detoxification; major fuels for enterocytes |
 | GlcN6P | Synthesis of aminosugars and glycoproteins; inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis; anti-inflammation; angiogenesis |
 | Ammonia | Renal regulation of acid–base balance; synthesis of glutamate and carbamoyl- phosphate |
Glycine | Directly | Calcium influx through a glycine-gated channel in the cell membrane; purine and serine synthesis; synthesis of porphyrins; inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system; co-agonist with glutamate for |
 |  | NMDA receptors; antioxidant; anti-inflammation; one-carbon-unit metabolism |
 | Heme | Hemoproteins (e.g., hemoglobin, myoglobin, catalase, and cytochrome c);production of carbon monoxide (a signaling molecule) |
Proline | Directly | Collagen structure and function; neurological function; osmoprotectant; |
 |  | activation of MTOR; a sensor of cellular energy status; an antioxidant; |
 |  | a regulator of the differentiation of cells (including embryonic stem cells) |
 | H2O2 | Killing pathogens; intestinal integrity; a signaling molecule; immunity |
 | P5C | Cellular redox state; DNA synthesis; lymphocyte proliferation; ornithine, |
 |  | citrulline, arginine and polyamine synthesis; gene expression; stress response |
 | OH-proline | Structure and function of collagen |
Serine | Directly | One-carbon-unit metabolism; syntheses of cysteine, purine, pyrimidine, |
 |  | ceramide and phosphatidylserine; synthesis of tryptophan in bacteria; |
 |  | gluconeogenesis (particularly in ruminants); protein phosphorylation |
 | Glycine | Many metabolic and regulatory functions |
 | Choline | A component of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter), phosphatidylcholine (a |
 |  | structural lipid in the membrane), betaine (a methyl donor in the one-carbon- unit metabolic pathways) |
 | D-Serine | Activation of NMDA receptors in brain |
Tyrosine | Directly | Protein phosphorylation, nitrosation, and sulfation |
 | Dopamine | Neurotransmitter; regulation of immune response |
 | EPN & NEPN | Neurotransmitters; cell metabolism |
 | Melanin | Antioxidant; inhibition of the production of inflammatory cytokines and |
 |  | superoxide; immunity; energy homeostasis; sexual activity; stress response |
 | T3 and T4 | Regulation of energy and protein metabolism, as well as growth |
Cys, Glu & Gly | Glutathione | Free radical scavenger; antioxidant; cell metabolism (e.g., formation ofleukotrienes, mercapturate, glutathionylspermidine, glutathione-nitric oxideadduct and glutathionylproteins); signal transduction; gene expression; apoptosis; cellular redox; immune response |
Gln, Asp & Gly | Nucleic acids | Coding for genetic information; gene expression; cell cycle and function; protein and uric acid synthesis; lymphocyte proliferation |