Dictionary:
ly·sine (lī'sēn', -sĭn) ![]() |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: lysine |
For more information on lysine, visit Britannica.com.
| Food and Nutrition: lysine |
An essential amino acid of special nutritional importance, since it is the
Not all of the lysine in proteins is biologically
| Food and Fitness: lysine |
An essential amino acid found in all proteins. Its concentration is relatively low in certain vegetables, such as cereal crops, so lysine is likely to be deficient in poorly designed vegetarian diets, but mixed vegetable diets are as good as meat. Low levels of lysine can slow down protein synthesis, resulting in poor muscle growth and repair.
| Dental Dictionary: lysine |
One of the essential amino acids found in many proteins. An essential amino acid needed for proper growth in infants and for maintenance of nitrogen balance in adults. See also amino acids.
| Alternative Medicine Encyclopedia: Lysine |
Description
Lysine is an amino acid not produced by the body, but essential to the growth of protein molecules in the body. It is necessary for tissue repair and growth, and for producing antibodies, enzymes, and hormones. Lysine is found in other protein sources, such as red meats, chicken, and turkey. Most individuals have an adequate intake of lysine; however lysine levels may be low in vegetarians and low-fat dieters. Without enough lysine or any other of the eight essential amino acids, the body cannot build protein to sustain muscle tissue.
General Use
The body only uses L-lysine to build protein. Since amino acid molecules are asymmetrical, each amino acid exists as both a right- and left-handed form, distinguished as "D" and "L" respectively. As a supplement, L-lysine is used to treat the herpes simplex virus, help prevent osteoporosis and cataracts, and boost the immune system.
Herpes Simplex Virus Remedy
In the 1950s, scientists discovered that foods containing certain amino acids could encourage or discourage the growth of the herpes virus. When added to the herpes virus, the amino acid arginine increases the growth of the virus. Lysine, on the other hand, suppresses it. Since the virus can cause cold sores, canker sores, and genital sores, L-lysine supplements increase the ratio of lysine to arginine in the body, curing the outbreak of the virus. Avoiding foods with arginine and eating foods with a higher lysine content will also help alleviate the symptoms of the virus.
Foods containing arginine:
Foods containing lysine:
Other Uses
Lysine also promotes the body's absorption of calcium, helping to prevent osteoporosis. It slows the damage to the eye caused by diabetes, and it may help cure atherosclerosis. Since it is used to slow the herpes simplex virus, its antiviral properties may help treat chronic fatigue syndrome, hepatitis, and HIV.
Preparations
L-lysine is best taken as a single supplement and not in combination with other amino acids. Such combinations are touted as nutritional supplements that build more muscle and are often used by athletes and bodybuilders. However, too much protein strains the functions of the liver and kidneys and can cause other health problems. The single supplement should be taken on an empty stomach because larger amounts of the amino acid can build up in the blood and brain, enhancing its health benefits. Supplements are best used by individuals suffering from a herpes outbreak or by vegetarians and low-fat dieters. Postmenopausal women can take lysine to encourage absorption of calcium by the body.
Precautions
Supplemental combinations of amino acids are not recommended to build muscle. Excessive build-up of protein in the body can cause kidney and liver problems.
Some consumers are sensitive or allergic to soybeans, a popular food used by vegetarians to replace the natural supply of lysine found in many meats. However in 2002, researchers announced progress in creating soybeans that could be tolerated by consumers with those sensitivities by shutting off a gene in soybean seeds believed responsible for causing the allergies.
Side Effects
None reported.
Interactions
None reported.
Resources
Books
Atkins, Robert C. M.D. Dr. Atkins'Vita-Nutrient Solution. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998.
Carper, Jean. Food—Your Miracle Medicine: How Food Can Prevent and Cure Over 100 Symptoms and Problems. New York: HarperCollins, 1993.
Duke, James A. The Green Pharmacy. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1997.
Periodicals
Gramling, Jack. "Lysine Helped CFIDS Sufferer Gain Control of his Life." Medical Update (October 1995): 1-2.
Krieter, Ted. "A Microbiologist Who Stopped Her Fever Blisters." Saturday Evening Post (November-December 1995): 54-56.
"Lysine and Cold Sores." Medical Update (January 1995): 1.
"New Soybeans Could Help Consumers with Soy Allergen." On the Plate (August 31, 2002).
Stauth, Cameron. "Beating Chronic Fatigue." Saturday Evening Post (November-December 1995): 50-54.
Other
"Lysine." Medicaldictionary.net. http://www.medicaldictionary.net/lysine.htm (July 24, 2000).
[Article by: Jacqueline L. Longe; Teresa G. Odle]
| Sports Science and Medicine: lysine |
An essential amino acid found in all animal proteins, but which is low in some plant proteins (e.g. cereals).
| Columbia Encyclopedia: lysine |
| Veterinary Dictionary: lysine |
Lys; a naturally occurring, essential amino acid, important in the formation of collagen, fibrin and keratin. Often the first limiting essential amino acid in growth and production. Nutritional deficiency in Bronzewing turkeys causes deficient pigmentation in the feathers.
| Wikipedia: Lysine |
| Lysine | |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name |
Lysine
|
| Other names | 2,6-diaminohexanoic acid |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 70-54-2, L: [56-87-1] D: [923-27-3] |
| PubChem | 866 |
| SMILES |
C(CCN)CC(C(=O)O)N
|
| ChemSpider ID | 843 |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C6H14N2O2 |
| Molar mass | 146.19 g mol−1 |
| Supplementary data page | |
| Structure and properties |
n, εr, etc. |
| Thermodynamic data |
Phase behaviour Solid, liquid, gas |
| Spectral data | UV, IR, NMR, MS |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) | |
| Infobox references | |
Lysine (abbreviated as Lys or K)[1] is an α-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCH(NH2)(CH2)4NH2. This amino acid is an essential amino acid, which means that humans cannot synthesize it. Its codons are AAA and AAG.
Lysine is a base, as are arginine and histidine. The ε-amino group often participates in hydrogen bonding and as a general base in catalysis. Common posttranslational modifications include methylation of the ε-amino group, giving methyl-, dimethyl-, and trimethyllysine. The latter occurs in calmodulin. Other posttranslational modifications at lysine residues include acetylation and ubiquitination. Collagen contains hydroxylysine which is derived from lysine by lysyl hydroxylase. O-Glycosylation of lysine residues in the endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi apparatus is used to mark certain proteins for secretion from the cell.
Contents |
As an essential amino acid, lysine is not synthesized in animals, hence it must be ingested as lysine or lysine-containing proteins. In plants and bacteria, it is synthesized from aspartic acid, which is first converted to β-aspartyl-semialdehyde. Cyclization gives dihydropicolinate, which is reduced to Δ1-piperidine-2,6-dicarboxylate. Ring-opening of this heterocycle gives a series of derivatives of pimelic acid, ultimately affording lysine. Enzymes involved in this biosynthesis include:[2]
Lysine is metabolised in mammals to give acetyl-CoA, via an initial transamination with α-ketoglutarate. The bacterial degradation of lysine yields cadaverine by decarboxylation.
Allysine is a derivative of lysine, used in the production of elastin and collagen. It is produced by the actions of the enzyme lysyl oxidase on lysine in the extracellular matrix and is essential in the crosslink formation that stabilizes collagen and elastin.
Synthetic, racemic lysine has long been known.[3] A practical synthesis starts from caprolactam.[4] Industrially, L-lysine is usually manufactured by a fermentation process using Corynebacterium glutamicum; production exceeds 600,000 tons a year.[5]
The human nutritional requirement is 1–1.5 g daily. It is the limiting amino acid (the essential amino acid found in the smallest quantity in the particular foodstuff) in all cereal grains, but is plentiful in all pulses (legumes). Foods that contain significant amounts of lysine include:[citation needed]
Good sources of lysine are foods rich in protein including meat (specifically red meat, lamb, pork, and poultry), cheese (particularly Parmesan), certain fish (such as cod and sardines), and eggs.
A common argument presented against becoming Vegetarian or Vegan is that a meat-free diet will be lacking in the amino acid Lysine because meat is the best source of protein and especially lysine. However, this is a flawed argument, because although ruminants (Cows, Horses, Sheep, Goats) can produce Lysine from eating grass (by the digestive action of bacterial communities permanant in the rumen "2nd stomach"), non-ruminants (Pigs, Chickens, rabbits, fish, game) cannot synthesise lysine and therefore must get it from a plant based source.
Also, even though Cows both beef and dairy animals can synthesise Lysine from grass, the huge majority of Meat production farming in the "west" intensively feeds beef cows on lysine-rich plant feeds, eg. Soya, beans, peas instead of grass to speed up growth.
Therefore the folly of modern meat production is that Humans could simply eat the lysine-rich plant based foods that are fed to animals and cut out the "middle man" or rather "middle animal", which would be dramatically more ecologically sound using far less water, less land, less antibiotics, less transport, less processing, and less incidence of cancers and other diseases caused by eating too much red meat. [1] [2]
L-Lysine is a necessary building block for all protein in the body. L-Lysine plays a major role in calcium absorption; building muscle protein; recovering from surgery or sports injuries; and the body's production of hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.
Lysine can be modified through acetylation, methylation, ubiquitination, sumoylation, neddylation, biotinylation and carboxylation which tends to modify the function of the protein of which the modified lysine residue(s) are a part.[6]
It has been suggested that lysine may be beneficial for those with herpes simplex infections.[7] However, more research is needed to fully substantiate this claim. For more information, refer to Herpes simplex - Lysine.
There are Lysine conjugates that show promise in the treatment of cancer, by causing cancerous cells to destroy themselves when the drug is combined with the use of phototherapy, while leaving non-cancerous cells unharmed.[8]
While chemically insignificant to lysine itself, it is worth noting that lysine is attached to dextroamphetamine to form the prodrug lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse). In the gastrointestinal tract, the lysine molecule is cleaved from the dextroamphetamine, thereby making oral administration necessary.
The 1993 film Jurassic Park, which is based on the 1990 Michael Crichton novel Jurassic Park, features dinosaurs that were genetically altered so they could not produce lysine.[9] This was known as the "lysine contingency," and was supposed to prevent the cloned dinosaurs from surviving outside the park, forcing them to be dependent on lysine supplements provided by the park's veterinary staff. Most vertebrates cannot produce lysine by default (it is an essential amino acid).
In 1996, lysine became the focus of the largest successful conviction of a price fixing case in United States history. The Archer Daniels Midland Company paid a fine of US$100 million, and three of its executives were convicted and served prison time. Also found guilty in the price fixing case were two Japanese firms (Ajinomoto, Kyowa Hakko) and a South Korean firm (Sewon).[10] Secret video recordings of the conspirators fixing lysine's price can be found online or by requesting the video from the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division. This case served as the basis of the movie The Informant, and a book of the same title.[11]
Linus Pauling believed people with existing angina and atherosclerotic plaque can benefit from vitamin C and the amino acid lysine. Pauling filmed a video lecture in which he recommended that heart patients take between 2,000 and 6,000 mg of lysine daily with their vitamin C (more if serum Lp(a) is elevated).
Musician Max Tundra, (real name Ben Jacobs), wrote a song about Lysine on his 2002 album "Mastered by Guy at the Exchange." The song details the importance of lysine and which foods it can be most readily found in.
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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