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What is kynurenine?

What is kynurenine ?

L-Kynurenine

L-Kynurenine [(S)-2-Amino-4-(2-aminophenyl)- 4-oxo-butanoic acid] has the chemical formula C10H12N2O3, and a molecular weight of 208.21 g mol−1. L-Kynurenine is the central metabolite of the kynurenine pathway of L-tryptophan metabolism that ends with the formation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). The catabolism of L-tryptophan, the metabolic breakdown of the L-tryptophan molecule into simpler molecules, by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase enzymes is the rate limiting step of L-kynurenine synthesis. L-kynurenine can be further metabolized through three distinct pathaways into kynuric acid, 3-hydroxy-L-kynurenine and anthranilic acid. L-kynurenine is a substrate for kynureninase/kynurenine hydrolase; kynurenine 3-monooxygenase and kynurenine-oxoglutarate transaminase. Most metabolites of the kynurenine pathway are neuroactive and are implicated in several neurological diseases. All metabolites of this pathway that contain a primary and secondary amino-group can be analyzed by classical quantitative amino acid analysis or other similar methods such as ion-exchange chromatography or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Picolinic acid, Quinolininc acid, Xanthurenic acid and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide can be analyzed using dedicated liquid chromatographic methods by selecting the specific absorbance of the chromophores present in this molecules to allow for detection of these compounds during analysis.

Chemical structure: 
Kynurenine AAA