tryptophan
Sign in to saveAI overview
I don't see any context provided in your message. Could you please share the context about tryptophan that you'd like me to base the overview on?
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
22 sectionsContents
- Function
- Recommended dietary allowance
- Dietary sources
- Medical use
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Side effects
- Interactions
- Isolation
- Biosynthesis and industrial production
- Society and culture
- Showa Denko contamination scandal
- Turkey meat and drowsiness hypothesis
- Research
- Yeast amino acid metabolism
- Serotonin precursor
- Psychedelic effects
- Fluorescence
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|Tryptophan ball and stick model spinning Tryptophan (symbol Trp or W) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Tryptophan contains an α-amino group, an α-carboxylic acid group, and a side chain indole, making it a polar molecule with a non-polar aromatic beta carbon substituent. Tryptophan is also a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, the hormone melatonin, and vitamin B3 (niacin). It is encoded by the codon UGG.
Like other amino acids, tryptophan is a zwitterion at physiological pH where the amino group is protonated (–; pKa = 9.39) and the carboxylic acid is deprotonated (–COO−; pKa = 2.38).