Addition of leucine precursors to the diet of leucine-starved mice.
Leucine-starved mice placed on a diet supplemented with the immediate precursor of leucine, alpha-ketoisocaproic acid, regain lost weight. This weight gain is similar to that observed when the leucine-starved mice are provided with leucine in their diet. Mice on a leucine-free diet supplemented with alpha-ketoisovaleric acid, the first compound in the leucine biosynthetic pathway, continued to lose weight as quickly as mice on leucine-deficient diets.
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D002208:Caproates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D007930:Leucine / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014631:Valerates / Q000627:therapeutic use
D002208:Caproates; D014631:Valerates; D007930:Leucine