Amino Acids and Proteins

Amino acids are a class of organic compounds containing alkaline amino groups and acidic carboxyl groups. They are the basic building blocks of proteins and the basic materials for building cells and repairing tissues. They play an important role in maintaining the normal life activities of living organisms. Amino acids play an important role in human nutrition and physiology. People's demand for protein is actually the need for amino acids.

Protein Definition

Protein is the material basis of all life and an important component of human cells, tissues and organs. Protein is closely related to important functions such as the growth of the body, repair of tissues, regulation of the internal environment, resistance to disease, transmission of brain information, and coagulation. About 40% of human protein is found in muscle tissue, which determines the body's ability to move. Myosin can also release energy when the body needs it (such as hunger and exercise). Normally, the human body contains about 65% water, 25% protein and 10% other substances. Moreover, as an important component of muscle, insufficient intake of protein will lead to muscle loss and decreased physical strength. Secondly, protein is also an important component of the immune system. Insufficient intake will reduce immunity and make it easy to catch a cold or be infected with other diseases.

In addition, proteins play a vital role in drug discovery. One of the main uses of proteins in drug discovery is as drug targets. Proteins are responsible for carrying out almost all biological processes in the human body, making them ideal therapeutic targets for treating a variety of diseases. In addition to being targets for drug discovery, proteins themselves can also be used as therapeutic agents. Biologics such as monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins have become an important class of drugs for treating a variety of diseases, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. These proteins are designed to interact with specific targets in the body to modulate immune responses, block signaling pathways, or neutralize pathogens, providing targeted therapies with fewer side effects than traditional small molecule drugs.

Protein Amino Acids

Protein is a macromolecule, and amino acids are the smallest structural units that make up proteins. There are more than 300 kinds of amino acids in nature, but only 20 of them exist in natural proteins in the human body. The amino acids that make up proteins are α-amino acids, whose amino and carboxyl groups are connected to the same carbon atom. The proteins in the human body are polymers synthesized using 20 basic amino acids as raw materials. In addition to the 20 basic amino acids, selenocysteine and hydroxyproline can also be used to synthesize proteins in some cases. Other amino acids are not used to synthesize proteins. From a nutritional point of view, among the 20 amino acids, 8 are essential amino acids (EAA) that cannot be synthesized by themselves, and the others are non-essential amino acids (NEAA) or conditionally essential amino acids (CEAA). From the hydrocarbon structure of the 20 amino acids, the more special ones are aromatic amino acids (AAA) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA).

Protein Structure

The basic unit of protein is amino acid. Amino acids exist in two isomers, L-amino acids and D-amino acids (except glycine), but the amino acids in animal bodies are all L-type. The structure of protein is divided into: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures, the latter three are collectively referred to as higher-level structures or spatial conformations. Not all proteins have quaternary structures. Proteins formed by one peptide chain only have tertiary structures, and proteins formed by two or more peptide chains have quaternary structures.

• Primary Structure of Protein

• Definition: Refers to the order of amino acids in a peptide chain (From N-terminal to C-terminal).
• Main chemical bond: Peptide bond.
• Significance: The primary structure of protein is the basis of higher-level structure.

• Secondary Structure of Protein

• Definition: The local spatial structure of a certain segment of a peptide chain in a protein molecule.
• Main chemical bond: Hydrogen bond.
• Main form: α-helix, β-fold, β-turn, random curl.

• Tertiary Structure of Protein

• Definition: Refers to the arrangement of all groups in the entire peptide chain in three-dimensional space.
• Main chemical bonds: Hydrophobic force, ionic bond, hydrogen bond, van der Waals force, etc.

• Quaternary Structure of Protein

• Definition: The spatial arrangement of each subunit in a protein molecule.
• Main chemical bonds: Hydrophobic force, hydrogen bond and ionic bond.

Sources of Protein

Protein is found in a wide variety of foods, both animal and plant sources. Animal protein sources include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products. These foods are considered complete proteins, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that our bodies need to function properly, in the proper proportions. Animal protein is also a rich source of important nutrients such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.

• Meat

Such as chicken, duck, beef, pork, lamb, etc., usually contains rich protein, because animal tissue itself is made of protein, and the quality of protein in meat is relatively high.

• Eggs

Such as chicken eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, etc., contain protein because eggs are a nutrient-rich structure in the process of animal reproduction. Protein is mainly found in egg white, while egg yolk contains more fat.

• Fish and Seafood

Such as salmon, tuna, salmon, cod, sea bass, shrimp, crab, mussels, etc., contain protein because they are aquatic animals and need protein to support their growth.

• Dairy Products

Such as milk, cheese, yogurt, milk powder, etc., mainly come from the milk of mammals, and milk contains two proteins, whey protein and casein, which are both high-quality proteins.

• Soy Products

Such as soybeans, black beans, red beans, tofu, soy milk, dried tofu, etc., contain protein in plant cells, providing the necessary nutritional reserves for plant growth. Usually, plant protein does not have a high content of meat protein.

• Nuts and Seeds

Such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc. Nuts and seeds are rich in protein because they are the seeds or endosperm of plants, providing nutritional reserves for the growth of new plants.

• Whole Grains

Such as oats, barley, wheat, corn, brown rice, etc. The protein content in grains is generally low, mainly concentrated in the outer layer of the grains, such as the germ and bran. Whole grains are not used as the main source of protein.

• Vegetables

Such as spinach, broccoli, peas, kale, mushrooms, etc. Vegetables are plant tissues, including leaves, stems, roots and seeds. These tissues contain cytoplasm and also contain a certain amount of protein.

• Protein Supplements

Such as whey protein powder, soy protein powder, collagen, plant protein powder, etc. Protein supplements can be used as an option to increase protein intake. They are often used in the field of fitness and muscle recovery.

Protein Synthesis

• Biosynthesis of Protein

In cells, protein biosynthesis is the process of synthesizing protein peptide chains using mRNA as a template. In the process of protein biosynthesis, the amino acid sequence of the peptide chain is determined by the order of nucleotides in the template mRNA, so this process is also called translation. In addition to the synthetic raw amino acids, the protein biosynthesis system also includes mRNA, tRNA ribosomes, protein factors, ATP, GTP, related enzymes and other functional substances and necessary inorganic ions. Protein synthesis is carried out in ribosomes, and the main function of ribosomes is to convert genetic codes into amino acid sequences and build protein polymers from amino acid monomers. mRNA contains a series of codons that are "decoded" by ribosomes to produce proteins. Using mRNA as a template, the ribosome moves to identify each mRNA codon passing through it, and pairs the amino acids provided by aminoacyl-tRNA with the codons.

• Microbial Fermentation of Protein

Microbial fermentation has emerged as a promising and effective method for industrial-scale protein production. In this process, microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi are used to synthesize proteins by fermenting organic substrates. Different microorganisms have unique metabolic pathways and capabilities that make them better suited for specific types of proteins. For example, bacteria such as Escherichia coli are often used to produce simple proteins, while yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae are better suited for producing more complex proteins such as antibodies. Once the appropriate microorganism is selected, it is cultured in a growth medium containing nutrients such as sugars, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to support its growth and protein production. To optimize protein production, various parameters such as pH, temperature, oxygen supply, and nutrient concentrations must be carefully controlled throughout the fermentation process. For example, maintaining a neutral pH is essential for protein stability and activity, while providing adequate oxygen is necessary to support the aerobic metabolism of the microorganism. In addition, the addition of inducers such as lactose or IPTG can stimulate the expression of the target protein, thereby increasing yield.

• Cell Culture of Proteins

Cell culture is a technique for producing proteins from cells in a controlled environment in vitro. The process is widely used in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries to produce proteins for various applications such as therapeutics, vaccines, and research. The process of producing proteins through cell culture begins with the selection of a suitable cell line. Cells can come from a variety of sources, such as animals, plants, or bacteria. The selected cell line should be able to express the desired protein and be able to grow and divide quickly in culture. Once the cell line is selected, it is cultured in a sterile environment to ensure purity and prevent contamination. Cells are usually grown in a nutrient-rich medium that contains essential ingredients such as amino acids, vitamins, and growth factors. The culture medium provides the cells with the nutrients they need to grow and divide. Cells are usually cultured in flasks or bioreactors, where they are maintained at optimal conditions such as temperature, pH, and oxygen levels.

With this in mind, BOC Sciences offers a full range of amino acid products tailored for protein production by microbial fermentation and cell culture. Our extensive product catalog includes a wide range of high-purity amino acids that play a vital role in protein synthesis and are the building blocks for the production of recombinant proteins, enzymes, and other biologics. Whether a customer requires a rare amino acid for a special application or a large supply of a common amino acid for large-scale production, BOC Sciences' team of experienced chemists can develop a custom solution with precise specifications and quality control measures.

Protein Function

Proteins have many functions in organisms, including structural support, enzyme catalysis, transport molecules, immune response, regulation of cell function and movement, etc. The diversity and complexity of these functions make proteins an indispensable and important molecule in life activities. In addition, proteins play a wide range of roles in biomedical research and applications, such as gene function research, drug development, disease diagnosis and treatment, and industrial applications.

• Structural Function

Proteins are important components of cells, tissues and organs. Many proteins exist in fibrous or spherical structures, and play a structural support role in the cytoskeleton and intercellular connections, such as collagen in the skin and blood vessels.

• Enzyme Catalytic Function

Many enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in organisms. Enzymes can reduce the activation energy of chemical reactions and accelerate the reaction, thereby participating in metabolism and maintaining life activities.

• Transport Function

Some proteins have the ability to transport molecules. For example, hemoglobin can bind oxygen and transport it in the blood, transporting it to various tissues of the body for oxygen supply. There are also some carrier proteins that can help transport molecules within cells, such as apolipoproteins and glucose-carrying proteins.

• Immune Function

Antibodies in the immune system are composed of proteins that can recognize and bind to invading pathogens and activate immune responses to help the body resist infection and disease.

• Regulatory Function

Some proteins can transmit and regulate signals within cells. For example, hormones are made of proteins and regulate cell metabolism, growth, and development by binding to specific receptors.

• Motor Function

Actin and myosin in muscles are proteins that interact with ATP to produce muscle contraction and movement.

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