Lac-Phe Explained

Lactoylphenylalanine, or Lac-Phe, is a metabolite generated by intense exercise.^{[1] [2] [3]} In mice, high levels of Lac-Phe in the blood cause a decrease of food intake and in humans, its production has been shown to correlate with adipose tissue loss during an endurance exercise intervention.^[4] In mammals it is created from (S)-lactate and L-phenylalanine by the cytosol nonspecific dipeptidase (CNDP2) protein.^[5] It is classified as N-acyl-alpha-amino acid and pseudodipeptide.^[6]

It has also been reported that as an additive N-L-lactoyl phenylalanine improves the taste of food, conferring an umami flavor. It is found naturally in significant amounts in some traditional Chinese fermented foods such as preserved pickles and soy sauce.^[7] Oral intake of Lac-Phe does not have anti-obesity effects in mice, though intraperitoneal injection does reduce food intake and weight gain.

See also

• Acyl group
  • Lactoyl, the acyl group derived from lactic acid
• Alpha-amino acid
• Dipeptide
• Dipeptidase

External links

• Web site: Derek. Derek Lowe (chemist). Lowe. A Metabolite of Exercise . In the pipeline-science.org . en.

Notes and References

1. Li VL, He Y, Contrepois K, Liu H, Kim JT, Wiggenhorn AL, Tanzo JT, Tung AS, Lyu X, Zushin PH, Jansen RS, Michael B, Loh KY, Yang AC, Carl CS, Voldstedlund CT, Wei W, Terrell SM, Moeller BC, Arthur RM, Wallis GA, van de Wetering K, Stahl A, Kiens B, Richter EA, Banik SM, Snyder MP, Xu Y, Long JZ . 6 . An exercise-inducible metabolite that suppresses feeding and obesity . Nature . 606. 7915. June 2022 . 785–790 . 35705806 . 10.1038/s41586-022-04828-5 . 9767481 . 2022Natur.606..785L . 249710767 .
2. News: Wong C . Appetite-suppressing molecule helps obese mice lose weight . 18 June 2022 . New Scientist . 15 June 2022.
3. News: Reynolds G . Why Does a Hard Workout Make You Less Hungry? . 18 June 2022 . The New York Times . 15 June 2022.
4. Hoene M, Zhao X, Machann J, Birkenfeld AL, Heni M, Peter A, Niess A, Moller A, Lehmann R, Xu G, Weigert C . 6 . Exercise-Induced N-Lactoylphenylalanine Predicts Adipose Tissue Loss during Endurance Training in Overweight and Obese Humans . Metabolites . 13 . 1 . January 2023 . 15 . 36676940 . 10.3390/metabo13010015 . 9863672 . 255077184 . free .
5. Jansen RS, Addie R, Merkx R, Fish A, Mahakena S, Bleijerveld OB, Altelaar M, IJlst L, Wanders RJ, Borst P, van de Wetering K . 6 . N-lactoyl-amino acids are ubiquitous metabolites that originate from CNDP2-mediated reverse proteolysis of lactate and amino acids . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 112 . 21 . 6601–6606 . May 2015 . 25964343 . 4450436 . 10.1073/pnas.1424638112 . 2015PNAS..112.6601J . free .
6. Web site: Metabocard for N-Lactoylphenylalanine . HMDB0062175 . The Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) . The Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TIMC) .
7. Wu J, Gao J, Lin J, Cui C, Li L, He S, Brennan C . Preparation and Taste Characteristics of Kokumi N-Lactoyl Phenylalanine in the Presence of Phenylalanine and Lactate . Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry . 70 . 17 . 5396–5407 . May 2022 . 35452224 . 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c00530 . 248345604 .