Amino acids as nutrients-the molecular basis of amino acid absorption in kidney and intestine

Proteins form 10-15% of our nutrition. They are digested into amino acids and peptides, which are absorbed in the small intestine. Amino acids are subsequently delivered via the circulation to all organs and used for protein synthesis and metabolism. In the kidney the blood is filtered to form the primary urine. All valuable metabolites, including amino acids, are subsequently recaptured and transferred back into the circulation. In this project we are investigating the molecular basis of amino acid resorption in the intestine and kidney and generate a mouse model that lacks the capacity to absorb neutral amino acids from the nutrition.