Metabolic differences underlying two distinct rat urinary phenotypes, a suggested role for gut microbial metabolism of phenylalanine and a possible connection to autism.

Abstract

A novel explanation is proposed for the metabolic differences underlying two distinct rat urinary compositional phenotypes i.e. that these may arise from differences in the gut microbially-mediated metabolism of phenylalanine. As part of this hypothesis, it is further suggested that elements of the mammalian gut microbiota may convert phenylalanine to cinnamic acid, either by means of an ammonia lyase-type reaction or by means of a three step route via phenylpyruvate and phenyllactate. The wider significance of such conversions is discussed with similar metabolism of tryptophan and subsequent glycine conjugation potentially explaining the origin of trans-indolylacryloylglycine, a postulated marker for autism.

• Authors: T Andrew Clayton
• Journal: FEBS letters (FEBS Lett) Vol. 586 Issue 7 Pg. 956-61 (Apr 05 2012) ISSN: 1873-3468 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 22306194 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Bacterial Proteins
• Biomarkers
• Fungal Proteins
• Hippurates
• Chlorogenic Acid
• indolylacryloylglycine
• Tyrosine
• Phenylalanine
• Tryptophan
• Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase
• hippuric acid
• Glycine

Topics

• Animals
• Autistic Disorder (etiology, metabolism, microbiology, urine)
• Bacterial Proteins (metabolism)
• Biomarkers (chemistry, urine)
• Chlorogenic Acid (urine)
• Clostridium (enzymology, metabolism)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Fungal Proteins (metabolism)
• Glycine (analogs & derivatives, chemistry, urine)
• Hippurates (urine)
• Humans
• Intestines (microbiology)
• Phenylalanine (metabolism)
• Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase (metabolism)
• Rats
• Stereoisomerism
• Systems Biology (methods)
• Tryptophan (metabolism)
• Tyrosine (metabolism)
• Yeasts (enzymology, metabolism)