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Tryptophan ball and stick model spinning. Tryptophan (symbol Trp or W) [3] is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins.Tryptophan contains an α-amino group, an α-carboxylic acid group, and a side chain indole, making it a polar molecule with a non-polar aromatic beta carbon substituent.
Examples are dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. All monoamines are derived from aromatic amino acids like phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan by the action of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase enzymes. They are deactivated in the body by the enzymes known as monoamine oxidases which clip off the amine group.
Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH; EC 1.14.16.4) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5HT). 5HT is causally involved in numerous central nervous activities, and it has several functions in peripheral tissues, including the maintenance of vascular tone and gut motility.[supplied by OMIM] [7]
The body also converts niacin and the amino acid tryptophan into NAD, says Martens — these are both found in some foods and available as supplements, but may not be as effective.
Monoamine precursors are precursors of monoamines and monoamine neurotransmitters in the body. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The amino acids L -tryptophan and L -5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP; oxitriptan) are precursors of serotonin and melatonin , while the amino acids L -phenylalanine , L -tyrosine , and L -DOPA (levodopa) are precursors of dopamine , epinephrine ...
Aromatic amino acids often serve as the precursors to important biochemicals. Histidine is the precursor to histamine.; Tryptophan is the precursor to 5-hydroxytryptophan and then serotonin, tryptamine, auxin, kynurenines, and melatonin.
Serotonin and tryptophan have been found in chocolate with varying cocoa contents. The highest serotonin content (2.93 μg/g) was found in chocolate with 85% cocoa, and the highest tryptophan content (13.27–13.34 μg/g) was found in 70–85% cocoa. The intermediate in the synthesis from tryptophan to serotonin, 5-hydroxytryptophan, was not found.
Monoamines are synthesized by altering a single amino acid. For example, the precursor of serotonin is the amino acid tryptophan. Peptide neurotransmitters, or neuropeptides, are protein transmitters which are larger than the classical small-molecule neurotransmitters and are often released together to elicit a modulatory effect. [4]