cystine

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cystine:

see cysteinecysteine
, organic compound, one of the 20 amino acids commonly found in animal proteins. Only the l-stereoisomer participates in the biosynthesis of mammalian protein.
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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Cystine

(also known as β,β’-dithio-di-α-aminopropionic acid), [HOOCCH(NH₂)CH₂S]₂, a sulfur-containing amino acid; a disulfide of cysteine. Cystine exists as two optically active forms— D-cystine and L-cystine—and two optically inactive forms— DL-cystine and wieso-cystine. L-cystine is a component of almost all natural proteins and peptides. Hair and wool keratin contain up to 18 percent cystine (together with cysteine). The covalent disulfide (—S—S—) bonds formed by cystine residues between and within individual polypeptide chains maintain a definite three-dimensional molecular structure for proteins and biologically active peptides. The retention of disulfide bonds is a requisite for the characteristic properties of fibrous proteins, such as keratins, as well as for the normal activity of various hormones, such as oxytocin, vasopressin, and insulin, and for various enzymes, such as ribonuclease and chymotrypsin. Cystine is a non-essential amino acid. Its biosynthesis and metabolism in organisms are closely linked to cysteine, since cystine and cysteine readily interconvert in living organisms.

A hereditary disturbance of cystine metabolism leads to the development in childhood of cystinosis, a disease in which cystine crystals are deposited in the tissues, causing various problems. The increased excretion of cystine in urine—cystinuria—leads in severe cases to the formation of cystine calculi, from which cystine was first isolated in 1810.

E. N. SAFONOVA

cystine

[′si‚stēn]

(biochemistry)

C₆H₁₂N₂S₂ A white, crystalline amino acid formed biosynthetically from cysteine.

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References in periodicals archive ?

Scientists realized that the co-administration of L-cystine and L-theanine could restore age-related impairment of immune competence, helping to prevent influenza and other viral infections--and in turn, preventing deadly complications.

Exciting new evidence shows that, taken together for two weeks prior to vaccination, the amino acids L-theanine and L-cystine enhance the efficacy of the flu vaccine in certain subsets of elderly subjects.

In one study, researchers gave both L-theanine and L-cystine orally to mice for 10 days.

L-theanine also contributes to the absorption of another amino acid important to the immune responsiveness: L-cystine. (19) The amino acid L-cystine is a precursor to the antioxidant glutathione.

Enhanced winter wellness against colds & flu

These differences may be attributed to an imbalance of electrolytes in the diets, where the chloride existing in the crystalline cystine (L-Cystine x HCl x [H.sub.2]O) would tend to decrease the cation:anion ratio.

The optimum methionine to methionine plus cystine ratio for growing pigs determined using plasma urea nitrogen and nitrogen balance

L-Homocystine, L-cystine, cysteinylglycine (reduced form), glutathione (reduced form), cysteamine, 2-mercaptopropionylglycine, N-ethylmorpholine, and dithiothreitol (DTT) were obtained from Fluka Chemie; NaB[H.sub.4], EDTA, 1-octanol, hydrochloric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, acetonitrile, bromobimane, ammonium nitrate, ammonium formate, and NaOH were obtained from Sigma Chemical; dimethyl sulfoxide was obtained from LAB-SCAN.

Fully automated assay for total homocysteine, cysteine, cysteinylglycine, glutathione, cysteamine, and 2-mercaptopropionylglycine in plasma and urine