3-Aminoisobutyric acid (also known as β-aminoisobutyric acid or BAIBA) is a product formed by the catabolism of
thymine
Thymine () (symbol T or Thy) is one of the four nucleotide bases in the nucleic acid of DNA that are represented by the letters G–C–A–T. The others are adenine, guanine, and cytosine. Thymine is also known as 5-methyluracil, a pyrimidine ...
.
During exercise, the increase of
PGC-1α protein triggers the secretion of BAIBA from exercising muscles into the blood (concentration in human serum). When BAIBA reaches
white fat
White adipose tissue or white fat is one of the two types of adipose tissue found in mammals. The other kind is brown adipose tissue. White adipose tissue is composed of monolocular adipocytes.
In humans, the healthy amount of white adipose t ...
tissue, it activates the expression of
thermogenic
Thermogenic means tending to produce heat, and the term is commonly applied to drugs which increase heat through metabolic stimulation, or to microorganisms which create heat within organic waste. Approximately all enzymatic reaction in the human ...
genes via
PPARα receptors
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α), also known as NR1C1 (nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group C, member 1), is a nuclear receptor protein functioning as a transcription factor that in humans is encoded by the ''PPARA'' gen ...
, resulting in
browning of white fat cells.
One of the consequences of BAIBA activity is increased background metabolism of BAIBA target cells.
BAIBA is thought to play a number of roles in cell metabolism, regulation of fat burning, and regulation of
insulin
Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the insulin (''INS)'' gene. It is the main Anabolism, anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabol ...
,
blood triglycerides
Blood lipids (or blood fats) are lipids in the blood, either free or bound to other molecules. They are mostly transported in a phospholipid capsule, and the type of protein embedded in this outer shell determines the fate of the particle and its ...
, and
total cholesterol
Cholesterol is the principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body Tissue (biology), tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in Animal fat, animal fats and oils.
Cholesterol is biosynthesis, biosynthesized by all anima ...
.
BAIBA is found as a normal
metabolite
In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism.
The term is usually used for small molecules. Metabolites have various functions, including fuel, structure, signaling, stimulatory and inhibitory effects on enzymes, c ...
of
skeletal muscle
Skeletal muscle (commonly referred to as muscle) is one of the three types of vertebrate muscle tissue, the others being cardiac muscle and smooth muscle. They are part of the somatic nervous system, voluntary muscular system and typically are a ...
. Its plasma concentrations are increased by exercise. The increased production is likely a result of enhanced mitochondrial activity, as this increase is also observed in muscle of PGC-1a overexpression mice. BAIBA is a proposed protective factor against
metabolic disorders
A metabolic disorder is a disorder that negatively alters the body's processing and distribution of macronutrients, such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Metabolic disorders can happen when abnormal chemical reactions in the body alter the ...
since it can induce
brown fat
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat makes up the adipose organ together with white adipose tissue (or white fat). Brown adipose tissue is found in almost all mammals.
Classification of brown fat refers to two distinct cell populations with si ...
function.
See also
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aminoisobutyric acid, 3-
Beta-Amino acids
Exercise biochemistry