L-kynurenine: its synthesis and possible regulatory function in brain - PubMed (original) (raw)

Review

L-kynurenine: its synthesis and possible regulatory function in brain

E M Gál et al. Neurochem Res. 1980 Mar.

Abstract

One pathway by which tryptophan is metabolized in the brain as well as in the periphery is through cleavage of the indole ring to formylkynurenine and then kynurenine. Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, the enzyme that catalyzes this cleavage, and kynurenine are distributed all across the different anatomic regions of brain. Approximately 40% of the kynurenine in brain is synthesized there, the remainder having come from plasma. Tryptophan loading, which has been used both experimentally and therapeutically as a means of increasing tryptophan conversion to serotonin, also increases kynurenine formation in the brain and in the periphery. Because of the formation of kynurenine, which competes for cerebral transport and cellular uptake of L-tryptophan, and because of substrate inhibition on tryptophan hydroxylase, excessively high doses of tryptophan may actually decrease the production of cerebral serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

• Kynurenine pathway enzymes in brain: responses to ischemic brain injury versus systemic immune activation.
  Saito K, Nowak TS Jr, Suyama K, Quearry BJ, Saito M, Crowley JS, Markey SP, Heyes MP. Saito K, et al. J Neurochem. 1993 Dec;61(6):2061-70. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1993.tb07443.x. J Neurochem. 1993. PMID: 8245962
• Regulation of cerebral kynurenine and 5-hydroxyindole pathways during tryptophan loading.
  Rizza V, Bousquet E, Guerrera F, De Regis M. Rizza V, et al. Cephalalgia. 1983 Aug;3 Suppl 1:139-42. doi: 10.1177/03331024830030S121. Cephalalgia. 1983. PMID: 6604581
• [Enzymes of the kynurenine pathway].
  Tankiewicz A, Pawlak D, Buczko W. Tankiewicz A, et al. Postepy Hig Med Dosw. 2001;55(5):715-31. Postepy Hig Med Dosw. 2001. PMID: 11795205 Review. Polish.
• Kynurenine pathway enzymes in brain. Properties of enzymes and regulation of quinolinic acid synthesis.
  Saito K, Heyes MP. Saito K, et al. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1996;398:485-92. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1996. PMID: 8906309 Review. No abstract available.
• Enzyme activities involved in tryptophan metabolism along the kynurenine pathway in rabbits.
  Bertazzo A, Ragazzi E, Biasiolo M, Costa CV, Allegri G. Bertazzo A, et al. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2001 Aug 15;1527(3):167-75. doi: 10.1016/s0304-4165(01)00165-9. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2001. PMID: 11479034

Cited by

• The role of the kynurenine metabolism in major depression.
  Myint AM, Schwarz MJ, Müller N. Myint AM, et al. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2012 Feb;119(2):245-51. doi: 10.1007/s00702-011-0741-3. Epub 2011 Dec 3. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2012. PMID: 22139324 Review.
• Tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism: a link between the gut and brain for depression in inflammatory bowel disease.
  Chen LM, Bao CH, Wu Y, Liang SH, Wang D, Wu LY, Huang Y, Liu HR, Wu HG. Chen LM, et al. J Neuroinflammation. 2021 Jun 14;18(1):135. doi: 10.1186/s12974-021-02175-2. J Neuroinflammation. 2021. PMID: 34127024 Free PMC article. Review.
• Interferon-gamma-inducible kynurenines/pteridines inflammation cascade: implications for aging and aging-associated psychiatric and medical disorders.
  Oxenkrug GF. Oxenkrug GF. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2011 Jan;118(1):75-85. doi: 10.1007/s00702-010-0475-7. Epub 2010 Sep 2. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2011. PMID: 20811799 Free PMC article.
• Endogenous Kynurenine Aminotransferases Inhibitor is Proposed to Act as "Glia Depressing Factor" (GDF).
  Baran H, Kepplinger B, Draxler M. Baran H, et al. Int J Tryptophan Res. 2010;3:13-22. doi: 10.4137/ijtr.s3682. Epub 2010 May 11. Int J Tryptophan Res. 2010. PMID: 22084585 Free PMC article.

References

1. 1. Br J Pharmacol. 1971 Sep;43(1):39-52 - PubMed
2. 1. J Neurochem. 1974 May;22(5):861-3 - PubMed
3. 1. J Neurochem. 1973 Mar;20(3):881-8 - PubMed
4. 1. J Biol Chem. 1974 Jul 25;249(14):4439-44 - PubMed
5. 1. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1961 Jan;92:176-82 - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

• Other Literature Sources

  • The Lens - Patent Citations Database