Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 13, 2026
06:18
Mapping Metabolism: Monitoring Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity Directly in Tissue
Published on: June 21, 2018
12.0K
Lac-Phe: a central metabolic regulator and biomarker
Taikang Yao1,2,3, Guolin Alexander Wen4,5, Zhenchao Wu1,2,3
1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
Medical Review (2021)
|October 29, 2025
Summary
N-lactoyl-phenylalanine (Lac-Phe) is an exercise metabolite that suppresses appetite and modulates weight. It
Area of Science:
- Metabolic signaling and exercise physiology.
Background:
- N-lactoyl-phenylalanine (Lac-Phe) is an exercise-induced metabolite.
- It plays a role in appetite suppression and weight modulation.
- Lac-Phe synthesis is mediated by CNDP2 and linked to metformin's effects via mitochondrial inhibition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of Lac-Phe in metabolic signaling.
- To investigate Lac-Phe as a biomarker for mitochondrial dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Lac-Phe levels in relation to exercise and metabolic conditions.
- Investigating the synthesis pathway of Lac-Phe.
Main Results:
- Lac-Phe suppresses appetite and influences weight.
- Lac-Phe and related metabolites are biomarkers of mitochondrial dysfunction.
- Elevated levels are observed in genetic mitochondrial diseases.
Conclusions:
- Lac-Phe is a key molecule at the intersection of exercise, metabolism, and disease.
- It shows potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic agent for metabolic and mitochondrial disorders.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Global Regulatory Systems
593
Global regulatory systems in bacteria enable rapid and coordinated responses to environmental changes by integrating sensory inputs with gene expression, ensuring efficient adaptation to fluctuating conditions. Key global regulatory mechanisms include regulons, two-component systems, sigma factors, and secondary messengers.Regulons and Global RegulatorsA regulon is a collection of genes and operons controlled by a common global regulator. These regulators enable bacteria to prioritize resource...
593
01:25Inducible Operons: lac Operon
1.3K
The lac operon in Escherichia coli is a model for understanding inducible gene regulation and metabolic flexibility. It integrates local control by lactose and global regulation through catabolite repression, enabling E. coli to preferentially metabolize glucose when available and switch to lactose utilization when glucose is scarce.Structure and Function of the lac OperonThe lac operon contains three structural genes: lacZ (β-galactosidase), lacY (lactose permease), and lacA...
1.3K
01:19Regulation of Metabolism
11.4K
Cellular needs and conditions vary from cell to cell and change within individual cells over time. For example, the required enzymes and energetic demands of stomach cells are different from those of fat storage cells, skin cells, blood cells, and nerve cells. Furthermore, a digestive cell works much harder to process and break down nutrients during the time that closely follows a meal compared with many hours after a meal. As these cellular demands and conditions vary, so do the amounts and...
11.4K
01:25cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways
8.3K
Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) is an essential second messenger that activates protein kinase A (PKA) and regulates various biological processes. A single epinephrine molecule binds to GPCR and activates several heterotrimeric G proteins, each stimulating multiple adenylyl cyclase, amplifying the signal, and synthesizing large numbers of cAMP molecules. Small changes in cAMP concentration affect PKA activity. The binding of four cAMP molecules induces a conformational change in PKA,...
8.3K