Nitrogen metabolism and its control mechanisms

N intake in the form of protein has neither got an upper nor a lower limit for agricultural working animals within a diet and there is no control mechanism for it. A high surplus of certain amino acids results in a reduction of feed intake. N excretion in faeces depends on 1) the excretion of N containing indigestible feedstuffs, 2) bacterial nitrogen synthesis in the large intestine and 3) the excretion of true endogenous N containing substances (digestion enzymes, intestinal epithelium, N containing endogenous secretion). There are no other control mechanisms for N excretion in faeces. N excretion in urine mainly comprises the nitrogen from the degeneration of amino acids and nucleic acids. The interrelations between urea, NH3, allantoin, creatine and creatinine, uric acid and hippuric acid depend on the species (monogastric or ruminants), on the nitrogen and N amount consumed and on the recycling ratio of the amino acids. The absolute amount of N excretion is not subject to any control mechanism, it depends on the intake of protein and NPN substances, the interim stages, however, which lead to the formation of excretory products, are intermediately controlled. The most important interim stage is protein biosynthesis, which is a fixed, intermediately controlled value in maintenance level. Under growth conditions only, the protein synthesis quota can exceed the protein degradation quota of the total organism (positive N balance). The control mechanisms of protein biosynthesis have, according to current knowledge, the following structure: Stimulation: 1) growth hormone (STH) stimulates protein synthesis by means of somatomedins; 2) hormones of the thyroid gland (T4 and T3) are controlled by the hormone stimulating the thyroid gland (TSH); 3) insulin. Inhibition: 1) somatostatin inhibits STH, TSH and insulin; 2) cortisol directly inhibits protein synthesis and stimulates protein degradation. The control mechanisms of protein turnover in addition to genetic coding and proteolysis extend in the framework of evolution over the period of 3,400 million years from the existence of the bacterial cell to the development of mammals, which is 74% of the age of the earth and approximately 90% since the existence of the first traces of life. The control mechanisms of protein turnover in mammals do not permit gene manipulation in protein synthesis as in bacterial cells since the control mechanisms mentioned are missing there.