Amino Acid Pool

AMINO ACID POOL: INPUTS AND OUTPUTS

Input

Dietary proteins: absorbed as amino acids/peptides in small intestine

– Pass through hepatic portal vein and immediately enter liver – Liver plays central role in fates of free amino acids

De novo amino acid synthesis: use C-skeletons & alpha-amino group of other amino acids to synthesize new ones
Protein turnover: breakdown of cellular proteins

Output

Oxidation: excess amino acids degraded to alpha amino group & C-skeleton

– Urea cycle: liver rids body of nitrogen waste – Energy production: C-skeletons enter glycolysis or citric acid cycle – Gluconeogenesis: occurs in liver – Storage: amino acids can't be stored --> C-skeletons stored as glycogen/fats

Synthesis of nitrogen-containing molecules

– Amino acids – Neurotransmitters – Nucleotides (purines and pyrimidines) – Creatine, etc.

Protein turnover: synthesis of new proteins

Amino Acid Pool

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