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lysine

American  
[lahy-seen, -sin] / ˈlaɪ sin, -sɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.
  1. a crystalline, basic, amino acid, H 2 N(CH2 ) 4 CH(NH2 )COOH, produced chiefly from many proteins by hydrolysis, essential in the nutrition of humans and animals. Lys; K


lysine British  
/ -sɪn, ˈlaɪsiːn /

noun

  1. an essential amino acid that occurs in proteins

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

lysine Scientific  
/ līsēn′ /
  1. An essential amino acid. Chemical formula: C 6 H 14 N 2 O 2 .

  2. See more at amino acid


Etymology

Origin of lysine

First recorded in 1890–95; lys- + -ine 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In the plant, then, lysine gets converted to pipecolic acid, and then this enzyme converts it to P6C, or Δ1-piperideine-6-carboxylic acid, yet another step in the lysine catabolism pathway.

From Salon Mar. 5, 2025

In fact, two amino acids, lysine and ornithine, became more abundant in the gut after infection.

From Science Daily Nov. 15, 2024

The nonsticky, vegan lip treatments are meant to heal lips via shea butter, jojoba oil and lysine.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 14, 2024

ADM was the subject of a nonfiction book titled “The Informant” in 2000, and an ensuing film starring Matt Damon, about a 1990s price-fixing scheme for the the animal feed additive lysine.

From Seattle Times Jan. 22, 2024

Maize lacks digestible niacin, the amino acids lysine and tryptophan, necessary to make proteins and diets with too much maize can lead to protein deficiency and pellagra, a disease caused by lack of niacin.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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