Plant-derived Proteins Research Articles

How can plant-based protein-polysaccharide interactions affect the properties of binary hydrogels? (A review).

The last two decades have seen a growing trend toward gels thanks to their attractive sensory properties, low calories, and modification ability. Plant-derived proteins have outstanding potential to replace animal proteins as they are more affordable and eco-friendly. Polysaccharide addition can improve the gelation properties of plant proteins. This paper aimed at critically analyzing the effect of the plant protein-polysaccharide compatibility on the characterization of composite hydrogels. H-bonds and β structures, increased by polysaccharides, greatly correlated with the gelation rate, superior structural integrity, and textural/rheological properties. Indeed, polysaccharides favored the transition of α-helices to β-sheets followed by the shift of amide I which made the microstructure dense, regular, and homogeneous. Subsequently, the water-holding capacity, hardness, and elastic modulus increased but the porosity, swelling ratio, and digestibility decreased. High protein concentrations increased the water-holding capacity while the swelling ratio was mostly dependent on polysaccharides. Polysaccharides had a protective role against protease penetration and gel digestibility.

Recent advances in bioengineered scaffold for in vitro meat production.

In vitro meat production via stem cell technology and tissue engineering provides hypothetically elevated resource efficiency which involves the differentiation of muscle cells from pluripotent stem cells. By applying the tissue engineering technique, muscle cells are cultivated and grown onto a scaffold, resulting in the development of muscle tissue. The studies related to in vitro meat production are advancing with a seamless pace, and scientists are trying to develop various approaches to mimic the natural meat. The formulation and fabrication of biodegradable and cost-effective edible scaffold is the key to the successful development of downstream culture and meat production. Non-mammalian biopolymers such as gelatin and alginate or plant-derived proteins namely soy protein and decellularized leaves have been suggested as potential scaffold materials for in vitro meat production. Thus, this article is aimed to furnish recent updates on bioengineered scaffolds, covering their formulation, fabrication, features, and the mode of utilization.

The Muscle Protein Synthetic Response to the Ingestion of a Plant-Derived Protein Blend Does Not Differ from an Equivalent Amount of Milk Protein in Healthy Young Males

Plant-derived proteins are considered to have lesser anabolic properties when compared with animal-derived proteins. The attenuated rise in muscle protein synthesis rates following ingestion of plant-derived compared with animal-derived protein has been, at least partly, attributed to deficiencies in specific amino acids such as leucine, lysine, and/or methionine. Combining different plant-derived proteins could provide plant-derived protein blends with a more balanced amino acid profile. This study aimed to compare postprandial muscle protein synthesis rates following the ingestion of 30g milk protein with a 30 g blend combining wheat, corn, and pea protein in healthy young men. In a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group design, 24 young males (aged 24±4 y) received a primed continuous l-[ring-13C6]-phenylalanine infusion after which they ingested 30g milk protein (MILK) or a 30 g plant-derived protein blend combining 15g wheat, 7.5g corn, and 7.5g pea protein (PLANT-BLEND). Blood and muscle biopsies were collected frequently for 5h to assess postprandial plasma amino acid profiles (secondary outcome) and subsequent muscle protein synthesis rates (primary outcome). Data were analyzed by 2-factor repeated measures ANOVA and 2-samples t tests. MILK increased plasma essential amino acid concentrations more than PLANT-BLEND over the 5 h postprandial period (incremental AUC = 151 ± 31compared with 79±12 mmol·300 min·L-1, respectively; P<0.001). Ingestion of both MILK and PLANT-BLEND increased myofibrillar protein synthesis rates (P<0.001), with no significant differences between treatments (0.053±0.013%/h and 0.064±0.016%/h, respectively; P=0.08). Ingestion of 30g plant-derived protein blend combining wheat-, corn-, and pea-derived protein increases muscle protein synthesis rates in healthy young males. The muscle protein synthetic response to the ingestion of 30g of this plant-derived protein blend does not differ from the ingestion of an equivalent amount of a high-quality animal-derived protein.Clinical trial registry number for Nederlands Trial Register: NTR6548 (https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=NTR6548).

RNA-seq Gene Profiling Reveals Transcriptional Changes in the Late Phase during Compatible Interaction between a Korean Soybean Cultivar (Glycine max cv. Kwangan) and Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B728a

Soybean (Glycine max (L) Merr.) provides plant-derived proteins, soy vegetable oils, and various beneficial metabolites to humans and livestock. The importance of soybean is highly underlined, especially when carbon-negative sustainable agriculture is noticeable. However, many diseases by pests and pathogens threaten sustainable soybean production. Therefore, understanding molecular interaction between diverse cultivated varieties and pathogens is essential to developing disease-resistant soybean plants. Here, we established a pathosystem of the Korean domestic cultivar Kwangan against Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B728a. This bacterial strain caused apparent disease symptoms and grew well in trifoliate leaves of soybean plants. To examine the disease susceptibility of the cultivar, we analyzed transcriptional changes in soybean leaves on day 5 after P. syringae pv. syringae B728a infection. About 8,900 and 7,780 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in this study, and significant proportions of DEGs were engaged in various primary and secondary metabolisms. On the other hand, soybean orthologs to well-known plant immune-related genes, especially in plant hormone signal transduction, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, and plant-pathogen interaction, were mainly reduced in transcript levels at 5 days post inoculation. These findings present the feature of the compatible interaction between cultivar Kwangan and P. syringae pv. syringae B728a, as a hemibiotroph, at the late infection phase. Collectively, we propose that P. syringae pv. syringae B728a successfully inhibits plant immune response in susceptible plants and deregulates host metabolic processes for their colonization and proliferation, whereas host plants employ diverse metabolites to protect themselves against infection with the hemibiotrophic pathogen at the late infection phase.

Mannosylated engineered trichosanthin-legumain protein vaccine hydrogel for breast cancer immunotherapy

The development of cancer vaccines based on tumor-associated antigens is hurdled by lack of an efficient adjuvant and insufficient efficacy. To improve the efficacy of vaccines, a genetically-engineered method was employed in this work to achieve the codelivery of antigen and adjuvant to enhance immune responses. Trichosanthin is a plant-derived protein that possesses cancer immune stimulation function. A genetically engineered protein vaccine composed of trichosanthin (adjuvant) and legumain domain (a peptidic antigen) was constructed, which was further chemically modified with mannose for targeting dendritic cells (DCs). The method is facile and ready for scaling up for massive production. Such a “two-in-one” vaccine is advantageous for codelivery for augmenting the immune responses. The vaccine inhibited the tumors by triggering a robust cytotoxic T lymphocyte response in the orthotopic-breast-tumor mice. Furthermore, the vaccine was loaded into the temperature-sensitive hydrogel based on Pluronic F127 for implanting use in the post-surgical site. The sustained-released vaccine from the hydrogel inhibited not only the tumor recurrence but also the lung metastases of breast cancer. These findings demonstrated that it was a safe and effective vaccination for breast cancer immunotherapy in a prophylactical and therapeutical manner for remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment and arresting tumor growth.

Biomimetic development of a strong, mildew-resistant soy protein adhesive via mineral–organic system and phenol-amine synergy

Plant-derived protein adhesives have attracted extensive research interest in recent years as effective alternatives to nonrenewable and nonbiodegradable formaldehyde-based adhesives. However, owing to their insufficient bonding strength and poor mildew resistance, it has been challenging for biopolymer adhesives to achieve strong and durable adhesion performance. Inspired by insect cuticles , we report a green and versatile strategy for the fabrication of a strong, mildew-resistant, antibacterial soy protein (SP)-based adhesive via phenol-amine synergy and biomineralization reinforcement. Gallic acid (GA), as a phenolic glue molecule, was co-assembled with hydroxyapatite (HAP) through Ca 2+ –phenolic coordination bonds to prepare GA-functionalized HAP (GA@HAP) nanoparticles. Moreover, ε -polylysine (PL) with abundant amino groups was used for grafting to the phenolic GA@HAP nanoparticles through a Schiff base reaction. Owing to multiple cross-linking and the inorganic–organic hybrid system, the wet shear strength of the SP/PL/GA@HAP adhesive increased considerably to 1.09 MPa, 127% higher than the unmodified SP adhesive. The cationic PL polymer endowed the protein adhesive with desirable antifungal and antibacterial properties , synergistically with the phenolic components in GA@HAP. In addition, the resultant adhesive exhibited enhanced flame retardation, thermal stability, and water resistance. This simple and versatile strategy could lead to advances in the development of high-performance biopolymer materials for biological and engineering applications including adhesives, hydrogels, and films. • A mineral–organic hybrid network was constructed in a biopolymer system. • Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were functionalized with phenolic glue molecules. • Multifunctional soy protein adhesive was fabricated via phenol-amine chemistry. • The wet shear strength of the prepared adhesive was significantly improved by 127%. • Biopolymer adhesive showed enhanced anti-mildew and antibacterial properties.

Immune Responses to Plant-Derived Recombinant Colorectal Cancer Glycoprotein EpCAM-FcK Fusion Protein in Mice.

Epidermal cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a tumor-associated antigen (TAA), which has been considered as a cancer vaccine candidate. The EpCAM protein fused to the fragment crystallizable region of immunoglobulin G (IgG) tagged with KDEL endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal (EpCAM-FcK) has been successfully expressed in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi) and purified from the plant leaf. In this study, we investigated the ability of the plant-derived EpCAM-FcK (EpCAM-FcKP) to elicit an immune response in vivo. The animal group injected with the EpCAM-FcKP showed a higher differentiated germinal center (GC) B cell population (~9%) compared with the animal group injected with the recombinant rhEpCAM-Fc chimera (EpCAM-FcM). The animal group injected with EpCAM-FcKP (~42%) had more differentiated T follicular helper cells (Tfh) than the animal group injected with EpCAM-FcM (~7%). This study demonstrated that the plant-derived EpCAM-FcK fusion antigenic protein induced a humoral immune response in mice.

Advances on the Antioxidant Peptides from Nuts: A Narrow Review.

Antioxidant peptides extracted from natural foods have been studied for their potential use in the development of additives, nutraceuticals, and therapeutic agents. Nut proteins are considered an excellent source of plant-derived proteins for the human diet, due to their high protein content and digestibility of up to 86.22%. Furthermore, compared with grain and soybean proteins, nut proteins have a special amino acid composition, which makes their protein structure different, and promotes their disparate functional characteristics and great bioactivity potential. This review presents the most remarkable studies on antioxidant peptides from nuts, to gain insights into feasible production methods, different evaluation indexes within in vivo or in vitro systems, high bioavailability, and the complex structure-activity relationship resulting from the particularity of their protein structure and amino acid composition. Previously published studies mainly focused on the effects of the production methods/processes of nut-derived peptides on antioxidant activity, and proved that nut-extracted antioxidant peptides can resist the degradation of acid, alkali, and gastrointestinal enzymes, have high antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo, and also have the potential to cross small intestinal epithelial cells in a stable and integral manner. However, the structure-activity relationship of antioxidant peptides from nuts has not been fully established, and the structure information of antioxidant peptides obtained from various nut protein sources is still unclear. The findings presented in this review can be used to provide the theoretical basis for the design and production of nut-derived antioxidant peptides.

Cottonseed feedstock as a source of plant-based protein and bioactive peptides: Evidence based on biofunctionalities and industrial applications

The upsurging global population, along with the increasing cost of traditional sources of food proteins, provides an opportunity to directly utilize plant-derived proteins in human diets. Recently, the utilization of agro-industrial-generated raw byproducts has attracted the attention of modern food industries toward the production of sustainable, nutritious, and biofriendly products. Plant-derived proteins are among the promising materials being investigated. In particular, cottonseed protein, an important byproduct generated during the processing of cottonseed, is abundant in basic amino acids linked with several bioactivities. The suitability of using cottonseed protein products in terms of functional attributes and nutritional value in food systems will ultimately determine the magnitude of their application in the food industry. Techniques used for the most effective extraction of cottonseed protein with an esculent gossypol concentration have been comprehensively discussed. The bioactivities of enzymatically obtained cottonseed protein hydrolysates can be employed for fabricating bioactive packaging materials. Cottonseed proteins exhibit a plethora of bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activities. Their superior functional food properties and relatively lower cost than other plant proteins make them suitable candidates for various food and nonfood applications. In this review, recent developments regarding the extraction, hydrolysate preparation, bioactivities, and industrial applications of cottonseed protein are thoroughly discussed. • First review considering extraction of cotton seed protein and preparation of its hydrolysates. • Bifunctionalities associated with bioactive peptides from cottonseed are discussed. • Bioactive peptides exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. • Cottonseed protein have multifaceted food and non-food industrial applications.

A Review on the Effect of Zein in Scaffold for Bone Tissue Engineering

Natural pharmaceutical ingredients have been widely used in recent decades due to their safety and biocompatibility. Zein, a plant-derived natural protein, has several advantages over other synthetic polymers in bone tissue engineering (BTE). This study of zein protein focuses more on its application in BTE as potential biopolymer material used in scaffold development. The use of zein in BTE has shown its benefits in the production of scaffolds. Therefore, attention has been given to studies of the effect of zein usage in bone scaffold development, as it offers a great ability based on its porosity, mechanical strength, in vitro degradation study, cell proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation, which is important for healing bone tissue damage. Therefore, this review aims to critically analyze the current research on the method of scaffold fabrication and the effect of zein usage in scaffolds for BTE. In addition, the common methods used in creating the scaffold are addressed.

Structural Characterization and Evaluation of Interfacial Properties of Pea Protein Isolate-EGCG Molecular Complexes.

Highlights Pea protein isolate (PPI) and EGCG spontaneously formed complexes.Protein–polyphenol complexation was mainly driven by hydrogen bonding.The binding of EGCG influenced the structure and functionality of PPI.PPI-EGCG complexes had better emulsifier properties than PPI. There is increasing interest in using plant-derived proteins in foods and beverages for environmental, health, and ethical reasons. However, the inherent physicochemical properties and functional performance of many plant proteins limit their widespread application. Here, we prepared pea protein isolate (PPI) dispersions using a combined pH-shift/heat treatment method, and then, prepared PPI-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) complexes under neutral conditions. Spectroscopy, calorimetry, molecular docking, and light scattering analysis demonstrated that the molecular complexes formed spontaneously. This was primarily ascribed to hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. The complexation of EGCG caused changes in the secondary structure of PPI, including the reduction in the α-helix and increase in the β-sheet and disordered regions. These changes slightly decreased the thermal stability of the protein. With the accretion of EGCG, the hydrophilicity of the complexes increased significantly, which improved the functional attributes of the protein. Optimization of the PPI-to-EGCG ratio led to the complexes having better foaming and emulsifying properties than the protein alone. This study could broaden the utilization of pea proteins as functional ingredients in foods. Moreover, protein–polyphenol complexes can be used as multifunctional ingredients, such as antioxidants or nutraceutical emulsifiers.

Explore the Interaction between Ellagic Acid and Zein Using Multi-Spectroscopy Analysis and Molecular Docking.

With the increasing interest in value-added maize products, the interaction of zein with bioactive molecules to become more nutritional and beneficial to human health has gained a lot of attention. To broaden the application of ellagic acid (EA) in maize flour products, we investigated the interaction between zein and EA. The fluorescence quenching type of zein interacting with EA was mainly static quenching through hydrophobic interaction, as demonstrated by quenching behavior modeling, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy confirmed the formation of zein–EA complexes. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy showed that EA reduced the polarity of zein around tyrosine residues, which were exposed to a more hydrophobic microenvironment. Meanwhile, circular dichroism suggested that EA noticeably changed the secondary structure of zein, which was mainly reflected in the increase of α-helix and β-sheet content and the decrease of random coil content. Finally, the molecular docking simulation found that zein could have five active sites binding to EA and there was hydrogen bond interaction besides hydrophobic interaction. The findings of this study provided a basis for a theory for the interaction mechanism between zein and EA, which could be essential for developing value-added plant-derived protein products using EA as a functional component.

Variation of in vitro digestibility of pea protein powder dispersions from commercially available sources

With raising consumer demand for plant-derived proteins, there has been an increased interest in the utilization of pea ingredients in food formulations. It was hypothesized that differences in processing history and composition affect their colloidal properties and their breakdown during in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The gastrointestinal fate of three different commercial pea protein ingredients, two protein isolates and one less refined concentrate was compared. The concentrate dispersion showed greater solubility, different protein composition and smaller particle size than the reconstituted pea protein isolates. When heat-treated, the release of free amino groups decreased for the isolates, but increased for the concentrate dispersions. LC-TQMS of free amino acids in the intestinal digestates indicated a significantly higher release of methionine (limiting amino acid in pea protein) in the concentrates than in the isolates. This work highlights the influence of processing and composition on techno-functional and digestion properties of pea ingredients.

Engineering the N-glycosylation pathway of Nicotiana tabacum for molecular pharming using CRISPR/Cas9.

Molecular pharming in plants offers exciting possibilities to address global access to modern biologics. However, differences in the N-glycosylation pathway including the presence of β(1,2)-xylose and core α(1,3)-fucose can affect activity, potency and immunogenicity of plant-derived proteins. Successful glycoengineering approaches toward human-like structures with no changes in plant phenotype, growth, or recombinant protein expression levels have been reported for Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana. Such engineering of N-glycosylation would also be desirable for Nicotiana tabacum, which remains the crop of choice for recombinant protein pharmaceuticals required at massive scale and for manufacturing technology transfer to less developed countries. Here, we generated N. tabacum cv. SR-1 β(1,2)-xylosyltransferase (XylT) and α(1,3)-fucosyltransferase (FucT) knockout lines using CRISPR/Cas9 multiplex genome editing, targeting three conserved regions of the four FucT and two XylT genes. These two enzymes are responsible for generating non-human N-glycan structures. We confirmed full functional knockout of transformants by immunoblotting of total soluble protein by antibodies recognizing β(1,2)-xylose and core α(1,3)-fucose, mass spectrometry analysis of recombinantly produced VRC01, a broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 hIgG1 antibody, and Sanger sequencing of targeted regions of the putative transformants. These data represent an important step toward establishing Nicotiana tabacum as a biologics platform for Global Health.

A Broad Review of Plant-Derived Bioactive Peptides to combat Pathogenic Outbreaks - A Future Peptide based Therapeutic Approach

Cyclotides are plant-derived proteins belonging to globular micro proteins (≈ 25 to 30 amino residues long) class with a cyclized head-to-tail backbone and its structure stabilized by the presence of cystine knot by three disulfide bonds. Cyclotides withstand biochemical degradation and are heat resistant compared to other types of peptides. In addition, conserved amino acids in the region of the cystine knot showed strong tolerance towards genetic errors. Interestingly, their topology makes them suitable for oral administration and cellular membrane transportation via crossing cell membranes. Cyclotides have been strongly potent candidates for designing anti-viral plant-derived peptides to combat newly emerged and reemerged outbreaks and also making them natural scaffold for drug development template. From the recent reports, cyclotides have been genetically engineered to study protein-peptide interactions for targeted drug delivery methods. In this study, we are undertaking a review on the discovery, history, role of cyclotides in Plant's defense mechanism and tools to the characterization of cyclotides, membrane binding efficiency of cyclotides, antiviral property and cyclotide scaffold designing.

Peptide Biomaterials for Tissue Regeneration.

Expanding the toolbox of therapeutic materials for soft tissue and organ repair has become a critical component of tissue engineering. While animal- and plant-derived proteins are the foundation for developing biomimetic tissue constructs, using peptides as either constituents or frameworks for the materials has gained increasing momentum in recent years. This mini review discusses recent advances in peptide-based biomaterials’ design and application. We also discuss some of the future challenges posed and opportunities opened by peptide-based structures in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Drench Application of Soy Protein Hydrolysates Increases Tomato Plant Fitness, Fruit Yield, and Resistance to a Hemibiotrophic Pathogen

At a time when growers have to increase food production, while facing many environmental challenges, biostimulants and plant defence stimulators (PDS) may help reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and to promote agriculture that is more respectful of the environment. For organic farming, they may contribute to increasing plant resilience and crop productivity. Several studies have shown that plant-derived protein hydrolysates may increase nutrient use efficiency and promote plant resistance to abiotic or biotic stresses. We therefore hypothesized that soy protein hydrolysates increase tomato growth and productivity, while promoting plant disease resistance. Our results showed that one or two drench applications of soy protein hydrolysates (SPH13 and SPH18 at 10 g L−1) to the growing medium increased tomato (‘Micro Tom’) plant growth and fruit production, while one studied hydrolysate enriched in glycine (SPH18) increased the expression levels of PR1 and PR8, two defence-related genes. Although no significant effect was observed on Botrytis cinerea resistance of Micro Tom plants, SPHs significantly increased ‘M82’ plant resistance to foliar inoculation with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, which further confirmed the systemic activation of plant defence mechanisms by SPHs in tomatoes.

The effect of plant-derived peptides on the hot-melt stickiness of herbal extracts during spray drying

The aim of this study was to explore plant-derived peptides as carrier material with the function of anti-hot-melt stickiness of traditional Chinese herbal extracts during spray drying. Crataegi fructus extract (CFE) with a severe hot-melt stickiness problem was used as a model drug, and soy peptides (SPT) were screened as the most effective and suitable carrier material among seven plant-derived proteins and peptides which include soy protein isolate, walnut protein and five kinds of peptides (corn peptides, wheat peptides, walnut peptides, rice peptides and SPT). The addition of 15% SPT also exhibited a strong anti-stickiness effect in other four hot-melt sticky herbal extracts from Chinese herbs (Lycii fructus, Corni fructus, Chaenomelis fructus and Mume fructus) since the obtained powder increased from completely sticking to the wall to more than 50% powder yield. The dynamic surface tensions (DST) of CFE decreased consistently with the increase of SPT from 5% to 20%, and DST1000ms had consistent reduction with the addition of SPT from zero to 20%. Meanwhile, the adhesive force of the single droplet at 28 min decreased below 18.5 N. The softening point of the spray-dried powder of CFE added 15% SPT increased by about 40 °C, and the addition of 15% SPT improved the stability which might be similar with the addition of 50% MD based on scanning electron microscope analysis but more efficiently. These findings confirmed that SPT plant-derived could serve as effective and stable carrier material with good anti-stickiness ability during spray drying.

Impact of the Structural Modifications of Potato Protein in the Digestibility Process under Semi-Dynamic Simulated Human Gastrointestinal In Vitro System.

The raising consumer demand for plant-derived proteins has led to an increased production of alternative protein ingredients with varying processing histories. In this study, we used a commercially available potato protein ingredient with a nutritionally valuable amino acid profile and high technological functionality to evaluate if the digestibility of a suspension with the same composition is affected by differences in the structure. Four isocaloric (4% protein, w/w) matrices (suspension, gel, foam and heat-set foam) were prepared and their gastrointestinal fate was followed utilizing a semi-dynamic in vitro digestion model. The microstructure was observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy, protein breakdown was tested by electrophoresis and free amino acids after intestinal digestion was estimated using liquid chromatography/triple-quadruple-mass spectrometry (LC-TQMS). The heat-treated samples showed a higher degree of hydrolysis and lower trypsin inhibitory activity than the non-heat-treated samples. An in vitro digestible indispensable amino acid score was calculated based on experimental data, showing a value of 0.9 based on sulfur amino acids/valine as the limiting amino acids. The heated samples also showed a slower gastric emptying rate. The study highlights the effect of the food matrix on the distribution of the peptides created during various stages of gastric emptying.

Lysine regulates TOR and NPY through taste receptor T1R1 in Chinese perch (Siniperca chuatsi)

Chinese perch (Siniperca chuatsi), a typical carnivorous fish, has a high dietary protein requirement. The poor utilization of plant protein in carnivorous fish is well known, while the crucial mechanism has not been characterized. Lysine, generally the first limiting amino acid in plant-derived protein dietary feed, might play essential roles in regulating protein synthesis and feed intake. G protein-coupled taste receptor T1R1/T1R3 heterodimer as a direct sensor of extracellular amino acids (AA) availability via Ca2+ stimulation. In the present study, we identified the umami taste receptor genes and found that T1R1/T1R3 heterodimer could strongly respond to L-Lys in Chinese perch, and L-Lys could regulate the target of rapamycin (TOR) and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) through the taste receptor T1R1/T1R3 signaling pathway. The results suggested that lysine and its taste sensing system might be the essential targets when making efforts to replace fish meal with plant protein.