cystine

American  

[sis-teen, -tin] / ˈsɪs tin, -tɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a crystalline amino acid, C 6 H 12 O 4 N 2 S 2 , occurring in most proteins, especially the keratins in hair, wool, and horn, and yielding cysteine on reduction.

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cystine British  

/ ˈsɪstiːn, -tɪn /

noun

1. a sulphur-containing amino acid present in proteins: yields two molecules of cysteine on reduction. Formula: HOOCCH(NH 2 )CH 2 SSCH 2 CH(NH 2 )COOH

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Etymology

Origin of cystine

1835–45; cyst- + -ine ²; so called because found in the bladder

Compare meaning

How does cystine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cysteine vs. cystine

Example Sentences

Infantile cystinosis, the most common and most severe type of cystinosis, occurs as the result of an accumulation in the body's cells of cystine, an amino acid.

From Science Daily

The therapy doesn’t have to get into all cells to work, just enough of them to make sufficient amounts of the protein that removes cystine so it doesn’t build up.

From Seattle Times

Specifically, system xc-’s uptake of one molecule of cystine leads to the release of one molecule of glutamate from the cell.

From Scientific American

The defect causes the amino acid cystine to accumulate to toxic levels in tissues throughout the body, doing particular damage to the kidneys.

From Scientific American

To make them more efficient, the researchers first fed the bacteria a chemical called cadmium and a compound called cystine.

From The Verge