Version 1
: Received: 22 May 2024 / Approved: 23 May 2024 / Online: 23 May 2024 (12:37:11 CEST)
How to cite:
Souza, S. L.; Silva, C. M.; Gomes, D. A.; Barros, W. A.; Castro, R. M.; Alves, S. M. Tryptophan Metabolism in Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Preprints2024, 2024051529. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1529.v1
Souza, S. L.; Silva, C. M.; Gomes, D. A.; Barros, W. A.; Castro, R. M.; Alves, S. M. Tryptophan Metabolism in Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Preprints 2024, 2024051529. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1529.v1
Souza, S. L.; Silva, C. M.; Gomes, D. A.; Barros, W. A.; Castro, R. M.; Alves, S. M. Tryptophan Metabolism in Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Preprints2024, 2024051529. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1529.v1
APA Style
Souza, S. L., Silva, C. M., Gomes, D. A., Barros, W. A., Castro, R. M., & Alves, S. M. (2024). Tryptophan Metabolism in Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1529.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Souza, S. L., Raul Manhães Castro and Swane Miranda Alves. 2024 "Tryptophan Metabolism in Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1529.v1
Abstract
Tryptophan, an essential amino acid in mammals obtained from the diet, is influenced by maternal diet, which impacts early life and development of offspring. This is studied under the Developmental Origins of Diseases and Health (DOHaD) concept, so factors from conception to early childhood affect health and disease susceptibility. Tryptophan is metabolized mainly through two pathways: serotonin (5-HT) and kynurenine. The kynurenine pathway, active in the brain, gut, liver, and placenta, breaks down over 95% of tryptophan and plays roles in inflammation, neurotransmission, immune responses, and immune modulation during pregnancy. The serotonin pathway uses up to 5% of Tryptophan, mainly in the gut, adipose tissues, pancreatic cells, and central nervous system, and regulates responses to environmental changes, including sleep, cognition, and feeding behavior. Key enzymes in these pathways include Trp-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) type1 (IDO1), and type 2 (IDO2) (kynurenine pathway), and tryptophan hydroxylase type 1 (TPH1) and type 2 (TPH2), serotonin pathway. The fetus-placental unit manages tryptophan metabolism. Serotonin and kynurenine are crucial for placental health and fetal development. Serotonin adjusts placental blood volume and aids neurodevelopment. Kynurenine metabolites protect the fetus from maternal immunity and offer initial neuroprotection. At birth, infants switch from placental nutrients to breast milk, rich in tryptophan and protective bioactive molecules. Tryptophan, solely from breast milk, is crucial for infants. Its levels are high in newborns (first three weeks, 2-4 times higher than in adults), gradually declining to adult levels by the fourth week. The highlights the importance of tryptophan for the serotonin and kynurenine pathways in fetuses, newborns and babies applied to the DOHaD concept.
Keywords
tryptophan; serotonin; DOHaD; kynurenine
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.