Tyrosine

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Tyrosine (from the Greek tyros, meaning "cheese", as it was first discovered in cheese), 4-hydroxyphenylalanine, or 2-amino-3(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propanoic acid, is one of the 20 amino acids that are used by cells to synthesize proteins. It has a phenol side chain.

Related Topics:
Greek - Amino acid - Cells - Synthesize - Protein - Phenol

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It plays a key role in signal transduction, since it can be tagged (phosphorylated) with a phosphate group by protein kinases to alter the functionality and activity of certain enzymes. (In its phosphorylated state, it is sometimes referred to as phosphotyrosine.)

Related Topics:
Signal transduction - Phosphorylated - Protein kinase - Enzyme

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Other important biological functions of tyrosine are as a precursor of the thyroid hormone, thyroxine, the pigment, melanin and of the biologically active catecholamines (e.g., dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline).

Related Topics:
Thyroid - Hormone - Thyroxine - Melanin - Catecholamine - Dopamine - Noradrenaline - Adrenaline

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In Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, it is used to produce morphine.

Related Topics:
Papaver somniferum - Morphine

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