Taurine (BioCAD00000018209)

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Metabolite Card

Formula: C2H7NO3S (125.0147)
SMILES: NCCS(O)(=O)=O

Synonyms [en]

taurine; 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid; taufon; tauphon; 2-aminoethyl sulfonate; aminoethylsulfonic acid

Reviewed

Last reviewed on 2024-06-28.

Cite this Page

Taurine. 数据之源，洞见之始. SMRUCC genomics institute, a synthetic life researcher from China. https://biocad_registry.innovation.ac.cn/s/(-)-arctiin (retrieved 2026-01-03) (CAD Registry RN: BioCAD00000018209). Licensed under the Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Note

Taurine is a sulfur amino acid like methionine, cystine, cysteine, and homocysteine. It is a lesser-known amino acid because it is not incorporated into the structural building blocks of protein. Yet taurine is an essential amino acid in pre-term and newborn infants of humans and many other species. Adults can synthesize their own taurine, yet are probably dependent, in part, on dietary taurine. Taurine is abundant in the brain, heart, breast, gallbladder, and kidney and has important roles in health and disease in these organs. Taurine has many diverse biological functions including serving as a neurotransmitter in the brain, a stabilizer of cell membranes, and a facilitator in the transport of ions such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Taurine is highly concentrated in animal and fish protein, which are good sources of dietary taurine. It can be synthesized by the body from cysteine when vitamin B6 is present. Deficiency of taurine occurs in premature infants, neonates fed formula milk, and various disease states. Several inborn errors of taurine metabolism have been described. Perry syndrome is an unusual neuropsychiatric disorder inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion through three generations of a family. Symptoms began late in the fifth decade in 6 affected persons and death occurred after 4 to 6 years. The earliest and most prominent symptom was mental depression that was not responsive to antidepressant drugs or electroconvulsive therapy. Sleep disturbances, exhaustion, and marked weight loss were features. Parkinsonism developed later, and respiratory failure occurred terminally (OMIM: 168605). Hypertaurinuric cardiomyopathy describes congestive cardiomyopathy and markedly elevated urinary taurine levels (about 5 times normal). Other family members had late or holosystolic mitral valve prolapse and elevated urinary taurine values (about 2.5 times normal). In two with mitral valve prolapse, congestive cardiomyopathy eventually developed while the amounts of urinary taurine doubled (OMIM: 145350). Taurine, after GABA, is the second most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Its inhibitory effect is one source of taurine's anticonvulsant and antianxiety properties. It also lowers glutamic acid in the brain, and preliminary clinical trials suggest taurine may be useful in some forms of epilepsy. Taurine in the brain is usually associated with zinc or manganese. The amino acids alanine and glutamic acid, as well as pantothenic acid, inhibit taurine metabolism while vitamins A and B6, zinc, and manganese help build taurine. Cysteine and B6 are the nutrients most directly involved in taurine synthesis. Taurine levels have been found to decrease significantly in many depressed patients. One reason that the findings are not entirely clear is that taurine is often elevated in the blood of epileptics who need it. It is often difficult to distinguish compensatory changes in human biochemistry from true metabolic or deficiency disease. Low levels of taurine are found in retinitis pigmentosa. Taurine deficiency in experimental animals produces degeneration of light-sensitive cells. Therapeutic applications of taurine to eye disease are likely to be forthcoming. Taurine has many important metabolic roles. Supplements can stimulate prolactin and insulin release. The parathyroid gland makes a peptide hormone called glutataurine (glutamic acid-taurine), which further demonstrates taurine's role in endocrinology. Taurine increases bilirubin and cholesterol excretion in bile, critical to normal gallbladder function. It seems to inhibit the effect of morphine and potentiates the effects of opiate antagonists. Low plasma taurine levels have been found in a variety of conditions, i.e. depression, hypertension, hypothyroidism, gout, institutionalized patients, infertility, obesity, kidney failure, and others (http://www.dcnutrition.com/AminoAcids/). Moreover, taurine is found to be associated with maple syrup urine disease, which is an inborn error of metabolism.

Extracellular Peroxisome
Entity Information

DBLinks

Other DBLinks
  • CAS Registry Number: 107-35-7
  • PubChem: 1123
  • PubChem: 3544
  • ChEBI: ChEBI:15891
  • HMDB: HMDB0000251
  • HMDB: HMDB00251
  • KEGG: C00245
  • KEGG: C00245 D00047
  • BioCyc: TAURINE
  • NCBI MeSH: Taurine
  • Wikipedia: Taurine
  • DrugBank: DB01956
  • RefMet: RM0118223
  • MoNA: BAF_UVA_POS000669
  • MoNA: BAF_UVA_POS000670
  • MoNA: BAF_UVA_POS000671
  • MoNA: BAF_UVA_POS000672
  • MoNA: BAF_UVA_POS001012
  • MoNA: CCMSLIB00000578102
  • MoNA: CCMSLIB00005464046
  • MoNA: CCMSLIB00005720605
  • MoNA: CCMSLIB00005720624
  • MoNA: EMBL-MCF_spec23254
  • MoNA: EMBL_MCF_2_0_HRMS_Library000002
  • MoNA: EMBL_MCF_2_0_HRMS_Library000377
  • MoNA: FiehnHILIC000779
  • MoNA: FiehnHILIC001527
  • MoNA: FiehnHILIC003003
  • MoNA: FiehnLib001118
  • MoNA: HMDB0000251_ms_ms_430
  • MoNA: HMDB0000251_ms_ms_431
  • MoNA: HMDB0000251_ms_ms_432
  • MoNA: KNA00033
  • MoNA: KNA00034
  • MoNA: KNA00035
  • MoNA: KNA00036
  • MoNA: KNA00272
  • MoNA: KNA00273
  • MoNA: KNA00274
  • MoNA: KNA00275
  • MoNA: KNA00479
  • MoNA: KNA00480
  • MoNA: KNA00481
  • MoNA: KNA00482
  • MoNA: KNA00668
  • MoNA: KNA00669
  • MoNA: KNA00670
  • MoNA: KNA00671
  • MoNA: KO001872
  • MoNA: KO001873
  • MoNA: KO001874
  • MoNA: KO001875
  • MoNA: KO001876
  • MoNA: KO004077
  • MoNA: KO004078
  • MoNA: KO004079
  • MoNA: KO004080
  • MoNA: KO004081
  • MoNA: KZ000076
  • MoNA: MoNA011352
  • MoNA: MoNA011353
  • MoNA: MoNA011354
  • MoNA: MoNA011355
  • MoNA: MoNA016799
  • MoNA: MoNA024316
  • MoNA: MoNA024360
  • MoNA: MoNA032113
  • MoNA: MoNA032115
  • MoNA: MoNA032118
  • MoNA: MoNA032760
  • MoNA: MoNA032761
  • MoNA: MoNA032763
  • MoNA: MoNA032829
  • MoNA: MoNA032831
  • MoNA: MoNA032832
  • MoNA: MoNA033747
  • MoNA: MoNA033748
  • MoNA: MoNA033750
  • MoNA: MoNA034066
  • MoNA: MoNA034068
  • MoNA: MoNA034069
  • MoNA: MoNA035011
  • MoNA: MoNA035012
  • MoNA: MoNA035014
  • MoNA: MoNA036549
  • MoNA: MoNA036550
  • MoNA: MoNA036551
  • MoNA: MoNA037073
  • MoNA: MoNA037171
  • MoNA: MoNA037399
  • MoNA: MoNA037766
  • MoNA: MoNA037891
  • MoNA: MoNA038150
  • MoNA: MoNA038496
  • MoNA: MoNA038561
  • MoNA: MoNA038718
  • MoNA: OUF00470
  • MoNA: PM000917
  • MoNA: PM000978
  • MoNA: PR010028
  • MoNA: PR100200
  • MoNA: PS034701
  • MoNA: PS034702
  • MoNA: PS034703
  • MoNA: PS034705
  • MoNA: PS034707
  • MoNA: PT103470
  • Metlin: METLIN_31
  • Coconut NaturalProduct: CNP0178735.0

Class / Ontology

Metabolic Network
ID EC Number Name
KEGG:R01682 4.1.1.15 3-sulfo-L-alanine carboxy-lyase (taurine-forming)
KEGG:R01683 1.5.1.23 tauropine:NAD+ oxidoreductase (taurine-forming)
KEGG:R01684 2.6.1.55 taurine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase
KEGG:R01685 1.4.2.- taurine:ferricytochrome-c oxidoreductase (deaminating)
KEGG:R01686 2.1.4.1 L-arginine:taurine amidinotransferase
KEGG:R01687 2.3.2.2 (5-L-glutamyl)-peptide:taurine 5-glutamyltransferase
KEGG:R02797 3.5.1.24 taurocholate amidohydrolase
KEGG:R03720 2.3.1.65 choloyl-CoA:glycine N-choloyltransferase
KEGG:R03977 3.5.1.24 chenodeoxycholoyltaurine amidohydrolase
KEGG:R04487 3.5.1.24 taurodeoxycholate amidohydrolase
KEGG:R05320 1.14.11.17 taurine,2-oxoglutarate:O2 oxidoreductase (sulfite-forming)
KEGG:R05652 2.6.1.77 taurine:pyruvate aminotransferase
KEGG:R07167 1.4.99.2 taurine:(acceptor) oxidoreductase (deaminating)
KEGG:R08745 2.3.1.65 3alpha,7alpha-dihydroxy-5beta-cholanoyl-CoA:taurine N-choloyltransferase;
KEGG:R12959 1.8.1.- C00519 + C00005 + C00080 + C00007<=>C00245 + C00006 + C00001
BioCyc:RXN-17385 3.5.1.74 CPD-3743 + WATER --> CHOLATE + TAURINE
BioCyc:RXN-21345 3.5.1.74 CPD-18799 + WATER --> CPD-10534 + TAURINE
BioCyc:CHENODEOXYCHOLOYLTAURINE-HYDROLASE-RXN 3.5.1.74 CPD-7283 + WATER --> CPD-15189 + TAURINE
BioCyc:RXN0-299 1.14.11.17 TAURINE + 2-KETOGLUTARATE + OXYGEN-MOLECULE --> PROTON + CPD-1772 + SO3 + SUC + CARBON-DIOXIDE
BioCyc:ABC-64-RXN 7.6.2.7 TAURINE + ATP + WATER --> TAURINE + ADP + Pi + PROTON
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Organism Source

Taxonomy Source

  1. Acherontia atropus [ncbi taxid: ]
  2. Achillea macrophylla [ncbi taxid: 282746]
  3. Aeonium goochiae [ncbi taxid: 91065]
  4. Agave aurea [ncbi taxid: 467071]
  5. Agelas oroides [ncbi taxid: 72715]
  6. Agelas oroides enoyl [ncbi taxid: ]
  7. Ajuga spectabilis [ncbi taxid: 1586319]
  8. Alcantara ekmaniana [ncbi taxid: ]
  9. Allium cepa [ncbi taxid: 4679]
  10. Alstroemeria revoluta [ncbi taxid: 198691]
  11. Amelanchier alnifolia [ncbi taxid: 32219]
  12. Anethum graveolens [ncbi taxid: 40922]
  13. Archangelica officinalis [ncbi taxid: ]
  14. Artemisia vestita [ncbi taxid: 1811969]
  15. Astragalus tragacantha [ncbi taxid: 858344]
  16. Avena sativa [ncbi taxid: 4498]
  17. Axinella polypoides [ncbi taxid: 12959]
  18. Baccharis bigelovii [ncbi taxid: ]
  19. Baphia nitida [ncbi taxid: 162666]
  20. Beta vulgaris [ncbi taxid: 161934]
  21. Bos taurus domesticus [ncbi taxid: ]
  22. Brassica oleracea [ncbi taxid: 3712]
  23. Brassica rapa [ncbi taxid: 3711]
  24. Buthus martensi [ncbi taxid: ]
  25. Buthus martensii [ncbi taxid: ]
  26. Byssochlamys spectabilis [ncbi taxid: ]
  27. Calculus bovis [ncbi taxid: ]
  28. Callistemon viminalis [ncbi taxid: 73737]
  29. Capsicum annuum [ncbi taxid: 4072]
  30. Cereus aethiops [ncbi taxid: 176263]
  31. Cestrum nocturnum [ncbi taxid: 225615]
  32. Cissus pallidiflorus [ncbi taxid: ]
  33. Coprinopsis cinerea [ncbi taxid: 5346]
  34. Crataegus davisii [ncbi taxid: ]
  35. Crinum erubescens [ncbi taxid: 209093]
  36. Cucumis sativus [ncbi taxid: 3659]
  37. Cucurbita maxima [ncbi taxid: 3661]
  38. Cucurbita pepo [ncbi taxid: 3663]
  39. Cupressus lawsoniana [ncbi taxid: ]
  40. Daucus carota [ncbi taxid: 4039]
  41. Dryopteris inaequalis [ncbi taxid: 262950]
  42. Emilia sonchifolia [ncbi taxid: 415160]
  43. Encephalartos altensteinii [ncbi taxid: 3300]
  44. Eria foetida [ncbi taxid: ]
  45. Escherichia coli [ncbi taxid: 562]
  46. Eupatorium havanense [ncbi taxid: ]
  47. Euphorbia kamerunica [ncbi taxid: ]
  48. Euphorbia marginata [ncbi taxid: 28955]
  49. Excoecaria oppositifolia [ncbi taxid: 3389821]
  50. Gardenia collinsae [ncbi taxid: 1233748]
  51. Grindelia acutifolia [ncbi taxid: ]
  52. Guanomyces polythrix [ncbi taxid: 110160]
  53. Guatteria blepharophylla [ncbi taxid: 402568]
  54. Gymnosporia senegalensis [ncbi taxid: 256095]
  55. Homo sapiens [ncbi taxid: 9606]
  56. Hordeum vulgare [ncbi taxid: 4513]
  57. Ircinia oros [ncbi taxid: 1141585]
  58. Jungermannia hyalina [ncbi taxid: ]
  59. Kobresia nepalensis [ncbi taxid: ]
  60. Lactuca sativa [ncbi taxid: 4236]
  61. Laurencia pannosa [ncbi taxid: ]
  62. Leptosphaeria oraemaris [ncbi taxid: ]
  63. Ligularia muliensis [ncbi taxid: 2126609]
  64. Litsea aciculata [ncbi taxid: ]
  65. Litsea pulchella [ncbi taxid: ]
  66. Lycium barbarum [ncbi taxid: 112863]
  67. Lycium chinense [ncbi taxid: 112883]
  68. Marrubium alysson [ncbi taxid: 694370]
  69. Melampodium heterophyllum [ncbi taxid: ]
  70. Monochaetum vulcanicum [ncbi taxid: 1160581]
  71. Mus musculus [ncbi taxid: 10090]
  72. Myrmica sabuleti [ncbi taxid: 229917]
  73. Mytilus edulis [ncbi taxid: 6550]
  74. Nuphar lutea [ncbi taxid: 77113]
  75. Pastinaca sativa [ncbi taxid: 4041]
  76. Pausinystalia mayumbensis [ncbi taxid: ]
  77. Penicillium olsonii [ncbi taxid: 99116]
  78. Pentzia incana [ncbi taxid: 379275]
  79. Perilla frutescens var. arguta [ncbi taxid: 381201]
  80. Phaseolus vulgaris [ncbi taxid: 3885]
  81. Prangos pabularia [ncbi taxid: 52497]
  82. Pronephrium triphyllum [ncbi taxid: ]
  83. Prunus tomentosa [ncbi taxid: 105667]
  84. Rhinogobius brunneus [ncbi taxid: 933223]
  85. Rhododendron ovatum [ncbi taxid: 49169]
  86. Saccharomyces cerevisiae [ncbi taxid: 4932]
  87. Schistochila appendiculata [ncbi taxid: 95792]
  88. Secale cereale [ncbi taxid: 4550]
  89. Selliguea feei [ncbi taxid: 194882]
  90. Shuteria involucrata var. vestita [ncbi taxid: 132463]
  91. Simaba multiflora [ncbi taxid: ]
  92. Sinocalamus affinis [ncbi taxid: ]
  93. Soja hispida [ncbi taxid: ]
  94. Solanum melongena [ncbi taxid: 4111]
  95. Solanum tuberosum [ncbi taxid: 4113]
  96. Spinacia oleracea [ncbi taxid: 3562]
  97. Stevia chamaedrys [ncbi taxid: ]
  98. Temnopleurus toreumaticus [ncbi taxid: 161058]
  99. Teucrium oxylepis [ncbi taxid: 1209881]
  100. Trifolium subterraneum [ncbi taxid: 3900]
  101. Trillium camschatcense [ncbi taxid: 49675]
  102. Ursinia abrotanifolia [ncbi taxid: 3122733]
  103. Xenorhabdus bovienii [ncbi taxid: 40576]

Pathway Synthetic

pathway id name
PathBank:SMP0000797 Taurine Metabolism
PathBank:SMP0000808 Inner Membrane Transport
PathBank:SMP0000939 Sulfur Metabolism
PathBank:SMP0000940 Sulfur Metabolism (Butanesulfonate)
PathBank:SMP0000941 Sulfur Metabolism (Propanesulfonate)
PathBank:SMP0000942 Sulfur Metabolism (Ethanesulfonate)
PathBank:SMP0000943 Sulfur Metabolism (Isethionate)
PathBank:SMP0000944 Sulfur Metabolism (Methanesulfonate)
PathBank:SMP0001044 Taurine Metabolism I
WikiPathways:WP3223 Differentiation pathway
WikiPathways:WP2525 Trans-sulfuration, one-carbon metabolism and related pathways
WikiPathways:WP3604 Biochemical pathways: part I
WikiPathways:WP715 Amino acid conjugation
WikiPathways:WP1770 One-carbon metabolism and related pathways
WikiPathways:WP4292 Methionine metabolism leading to sulfur amino acids and related disorders
WikiPathways:WP3125 One-carbon donor
WikiPathways:WP2848 Pluripotent stem cell differentiation pathway
WikiPathways:WP4504 Cysteine and methionine catabolism
WikiPathways:WP3145 Trans-sulfuration pathway
WikiPathways:WP2333 Trans-sulfuration pathway
View All Pathways