Kynurenines in the mammalian brain: when physiology meets pathology.
The essential amino acid tryptophan is not only a precursor of serotonin but is also degraded to several other neuroactive compounds, including kynurenic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine and quinolinic acid. The synthesis of these metabolites is regulated by an enzymatic cascade, known as the kynurenine pathway, that is tightly controlled by the immune system. Dysregulation of this pathway, resulting in hyper-or hypofunction of active metabolites, is associated with neurodegenerative and other neurological disorders, as well as with psychiatric diseases such as depression and schizophrenia. With recently developed pharmacological agents, it is now possible to restore metabolic equilibrium and envisage novel therapeutic interventions.
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21228, USA. rschwarc@mprc. umaryland.edu
Robert
R
Schwarcz
John P
JP
Bruno
Paul J
PJ
Muchowski
Hui-Qiu
HQ
Wu
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007737:Kynurenine / Q000378:metabolism*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
D007737:Kynurenine