NAME:
Isoleucine
L-2-amino-3-methylvaleric acid
SYMBOLS: Ile; I
CAS REGISTRY NUMBER: 73-32-5
FAMILY: Amino acids with nonpolar (hydrophobic) radicals
MOLECULAR FORMULA: C6H13O2N
MOLECULAR WEIGHT: 131
ISOELECTRIC POINT: 5.94 |
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COMMENTS:
• neutral,
genetically coded amino acid
•
essential in
human nutrition, i.e. it must be obtained through the
diet in adequate quantities to meet the body's needs
•
with valine and leucine belongs to the group of branched-chain
amino acids
•
hydrophobic and less flexible than other amino acids
because its beta carbon is branched with a methyl group,
increasing the steric constraints on its side chain
•
sources are protein-rich
foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products,
plant
foods such as grains and cereals, nuts, and legumes
•
together with the other two branched-chain-amino-acids
promote muscle recovery after physical exercise
• needed for
the formation of hemoglobin
• assists the
regulation of blood sugar level
•
involved
in blood-clot formation
•
deficiency is only found in people
deficient in dietary protein; symptoms —which may
mimic those of hypoglycemia— may include
headaches, dizziness, fatigue, depression, confusion as
well as irritability |
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