The arginine‐lysine interaction in the chick1

Abstract

A series of trials with cross‐bred, day‐old chicks was carried out to check on the specificity of the arginine‐lysine interaction postulated by several workers. We have concluded that this interaction is a nonspecific manifestation of a general phenomenon of amino‐acid detoxification. Our conclusions are, in part, based on the following observations: Amino acids other than lysine could be shown to depress growth. Isonitrogenous supplements of phenylalanine and of methio‐nine caused much more severe growth depressions than equivalent amounts of lysine. The addition of arginine plus glycine partially alleviated these depressions although much more effectively for lysine than for phenylalanine or methionine. There was no reciprocity in the arginine‐lysine interaction; i.e. excess arginine added to lysine‐deficient diets had no depressing effect.