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phenylalanine Definition

phenyl·ala·nine (fen′əl alə nēn′, fē′nəl-)

noun

an essential amino acid, CHCHCH(NH)COOH, occurring in proteins

phenylalanine Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • convert: People who lack the enzyme to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine are not able to metabolize phenylalanine normally.
  • contain: It contains phenylalanine, which is an excellent natural pain blocker.
  • include: The breakdown products of aspartame include phenylalanine which some people are sensitive to.
  • metabolize: People who lack the enzyme to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine are not able to metabolize phenylalanine normally.

Preposition: in

  • body: In children with PKU, the levels of phenylalanine in the body build up to toxic levels, causing mental retardation and organ damage.
  • blood: This rate gives the level of phenylalanine in the blood.

Adjective modifier

excess: Excess phenylalanine is broken down to fumarate and acetoacetate, both of which are part of normal energy metabolism.

Modifies a noun

  • hydroxylase: The baby is unable to make an enzyme, phenylalanine hydroxylase, which converts phenylalanine to tyrosine.
  • level: They often show very disturbed behavior and have other symptoms from their high phenylalanine levels.
  • ammonia-lyase: Tobacco plants epigenetically suppressed in phenylalanine ammonia-lyase expression do not develop systemic acquired resistance in response to infection by tobacco mosaic virus.

Noun used with modifier

  • amino: Phenylketonuria is a genetic disorder, which means, from birth, these persons cannot break down the amino acid phenylalanine.
  • acid: Phenylketonuria is a genetic disorder, which means, from birth, these persons cannot break down the amino acid phenylalanine.
  • blood: The laboratory method used to detect high blood phenylalanine concentrations is tandem mass spectrometry.
  • enzyme: Classical PKU is caused by a deficiency of the liver enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase, which converts the amino acid phenylalanine to tyrosine.