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Definition of "leucine" []

  • An essential amino acid, C4H9CH(NH2)COOH, obtained by the hydrolysis of protein by pancreatic enzymes during digestion and necessary for optimal growth in infants and children and for the maintenance of nitrogen balance in adults. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "leucine" in a sentence
  • "Amaranth protein, itself, is low in the amino acid leucine, which is not a serious limitation because leucine is found in excess in most common grains."
  • "Mgc80835 was recently termed leucine-rich repeat flightless-interacting protein 2 (LRRFIP2) and found to activate the canonical Wnt signaling pathway upstream of ctnnb1/beta-catenin"
  • "As a model system for studying real-time protein folding dynamics, the TUM scientists chose a so-called leucine zipper found in yeast."