What Is Protein Degradation?

Protein degradation refers to the process by which proteins in food are degraded into peptides and amino acids by the action of protein degrading enzymes and then absorbed by the body.

Protein degradation

The structural changes caused by protein degradation are complicated, such as carbonylation, peptide main chain cleavage, and the formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds are the basic mechanisms of protein structural changes. Among them, carbonylation, hydroxylation, etc. of the side chains of amino acid residues are the main changes caused by protein oxidation. ^[1]

Degradation of proteins plays an extremely important role in the physiological activities of cells. For example, after degrading proteins, they become small molecule amino acids and are recycled. By processing misfolded proteins and excess components, they are degraded to prevent the body. An error response was generated. For example, tumors and some neurodegenerative diseases are caused by disorders of the protein degradation system. ^[2]

Protein degradation

One is to replace the degradation of extracellular proteins in vivo. Generally, people who eat protein food need to be digested by the human digestive system, that is, protein is degraded, degraded into amino acids and small peptides, and then absorbed by the human small intestine to be used by tissues. The use of in vitro protein degradation to obtain the same nutrients as the human body reduces the burden of the human gastrointestinal protein degradation function, which is of great significance for the maintenance of human digestive organs and the prevention of aging and degradation.

The second is direct absorption without digestion. Fast absorption rate, high utilization rate, high synthesis of human protein.

The third is to reduce the energy consumption of the human body. Protein degradation in vivo and in vivo requires energy, while small peptides obtained from protein degradation in vitro can be directly absorbed by the human body without the need for secondary degradation by the human digestive system. This is of great significance for reducing energy consumption inside the human body and preserving physical strength.

Fourth, peptides obtained from protein degradation in vitro supplement the human body, enabling the human body to quickly supplement nutrients, replenish energy, quickly synthesize millions of proteins in the human body, and exert a variety of physiological activities.

Protein degradation pathology

Chronic neurodegenerative disease is a disease state in which neurons in the brain and spinal cord cells are lost, including Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and spinal muscular atrophy. Studies have found that it is caused by ubiquitin-dependent processes, including ubiquitination degradation of the 26S proteasome and abnormalities of autophagy through the lysosomal pathway, all of which have an impact on nerve development, homeostasis, and disease production. Serious impact. Therefore, ubiquitination degradation and autophagy are essential for neural activity, and are involved in synaptic and cell-cell interactions. In the adult central and peripheral nervous system, ubiquitination and deubiquitination of proteins are essential to the survival of neurons based on undivided cells. Most senile chronic neurodegenerative diseases are attributed to proteins Total accumulation and often exists as nuclear content. ^[4]