Low protein diets downregulate hepatic enzymes responsible for nonessential amino acid synthesis in broilers

Abstract

<p>Low protein (LP) diets have clear benefits for the poultry industry with regards to health, welfare and production. Dean et al., (2006) found that supplementing LP diets with glycine (Gly) and essential amino acids (AAs) can maintain performance similar to that seen on a standard protein (SP) diet. Further research into this concept proposes that supplementation of Gly precursors such as threonine (Thr) and serine (Ser) can overcome Gly deficiency in LP diets. Enzymes enabling these conversions include threonine dehydrogenase (TDH) and glycine C-acetyltransferase (GLYA) which convert Thr to Gly, and serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) which is responsible for the interconversion of Ser and Gly. </p>