Pseudopeptides and aminokines: a new class of exercise mediators? (MSc Thesis)

17.11.2025, Abschlussarbeiten, Bachelor- und Masterarbeiten

During protein synthesis, amino acids form peptide bonds through reactions between their amino (NH₂) and carboxyl (COOH) groups. Interestingly, small carboxylic acids such as lactate, acetate, or citrate also possess COOH groups and can form N-acyl or pseudopeptide conjugates with amino acids.

Recent work by Jonathan Z. Long and colleagues has demonstrated that these metabolites, including N-lactoyl-amino acids, change in concentration in response to exercise and feeding and can regulate energy balance and body weight. The aim of this thesis is to systematically catalogue pseudopeptides reported in major metabolite databases such as the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) and PubChem, and to investigate whether their concentrations respond to physiological stimuli such as exercise. Furthermore, genome-wide association study (GWAS) data will be analysed to identify potential enzymes involved in their synthesis or degradation. Comparative sequence analyses (e.g., ClustalW alignments of candidate enzyme homologues across species) may provide insights into the evolutionary conservation and functional relevance of pseudopeptide metabolism.

Kontakt: henning.wackerhage@tum.de