Biologically Active Substance
kynurenine
Subclass of:
Amino Acids
Definitions related to kynurenine:
  • A ketone and an amino acid derivative that is synthesized by either tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO)- or indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO)-mediated oxidation of tryptophan with diverse biological functions, including vasodilatory, immunoregulatory and neuromodulatory activities. Kynurenine is a precursor for niacin. Additionally, kynurenine can be further metabolized into anthranilic acid, kynurenic acid, and 3-hydroxykynurenine; aberrant production of kynurenine is associated with neurological disease-related cognitive deficits and depressive symptoms. Overexpressed in certain cancer cell types, kynurenine could potentially be used as a biomarker to assess cancer risk.
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • A metabolite of the essential amino acid tryptophan metabolized via the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
  • Aromatic aminoacid formed as an intermediate in the metabolism of tryptophan.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
Try this search on: Farlex, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary, or Wordnik

This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.