Message Number: SG9543 | New FHL Archives Search
From: sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-07-12 21:34:21 UTC
Subject: RE: cystine uroliths: asking specialists, next courses of action,options before us
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <4359451.1089668061627.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>

Michael Massey happened to call today and I learned a bit more.

Some things learned or once again repeated about cystine:

Birds can convert Methionine to cystine but he did NOT know if mammals can.

When amino acids aren't in proportion there winds up being reduced uptake of the some other amino acids.

(BTW: earlier known: When there is a genetic aspect involved it doesn't always involve just cystine. Sometimes the COLA grouping of amino acids is involved but cystine if the one that precips out even if the others are too high, so it is getting very complex...)

Feathers are almost 100% cystine so when cystine needs to be supplemented processed feather meal becomes a source of cystine. (I guess that is a really good reason to need to be able to convert another amino acid to cystine.)