Anaerobic catabolism of protein in fish
Lushchak, V.I.
Ukrains'kyi Biokhimichnyi Zhurnal 73(6): 18-24
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0372-3909 PMID: 12199075 Document Number: 538500
It has been accepted that in animals proteins are catabolized by aerobically. However, at description of anaerobic metabolism in fish the term "anaerobic protein oxidation" is intensively used. This work analyzes the metabolic pathways showing that protein metabolism in anaerobic conditions is not real oxidation, but it is just redistribution of oxidation levels between parts of molecules of amino acids. The process may create preconditions for recovery from anoxia. We mean the increase of lipid reserves. If just carbohydrates are metabolized, because of reductive equivalents deficiency this way cannot be realized, but at simultaneous protein catabolism this system is redox balanced. If amino acids are metabolized to lipids and ammonium and carbon dioxide are excreted from the organism, general level of organism oxidation is increased, because the most oxidized amino acid part is excreted in environment.