Hypotaurine is a

sulfinic acid Sulfinic acids are oxoacids of sulfur with the structure RSO(OH). In these organosulfur compounds, sulfur is pyramidal. Structure and properties Sulfinic acids RSO2H are about 1000x more acidic than the corresponding carboxylic acid RCO2H. Su ...

that is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of

taurine Taurine (), or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is an organic compound that is widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine, and accounts for up to 0.1% of total human body weight. It ...

. Like taurine, it also acts as an

endogenous Endogenous substances and processes are those that originate from within a living system such as an organism, tissue, or cell. In contrast, exogenous substances and processes are those that originate from outside of an organism. For example, es ...

neurotransmitter A neurotransmitter is a signaling molecule secreted by a neuron to affect another cell across a synapse. The cell receiving the signal, any main body part or target cell, may be another neuron, but could also be a gland or muscle cell. Neuro ...

via action on the

glycine receptor The glycine receptor (abbreviated as GlyR or GLR) is the receptor of the amino acid neurotransmitter glycine. GlyR is an ionotropic receptor that produces its effects through chloride current. It is one of the most widely distributed inhibitory ...

s. It is an

osmolyte Osmolytes are low-molecular weight organic compounds that influence the properties of biological fluids. Their primary role is to maintain the integrity of cells by affecting the viscosity, melting point, and ionic strength of the aqueous solution. ...

with

antioxidant Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. This can lead to polymerization and other chain reactions. They are frequently added to industrial products, such as fuels and lubricant ...

properties. Hypotaurine is derived from

cysteine Cysteine (symbol Cys or C; ) is a semiessential proteinogenic amino acid with the formula . The thiol side chain in cysteine often participates in enzymatic reactions as a nucleophile. When present as a deprotonated catalytic residue, sometime ...

(and

homocysteine Homocysteine is a non-proteinogenic α-amino acid. It is a homologue of the amino acid cysteine, differing by an additional methylene bridge (-CH2-). It is biosynthesized from methionine by the removal of its terminal Cε methyl group. In the b ...

). In mammals, the biosynthesis of hypotaurine from cysteine occurs in the pancreas. In the

cysteine sulfinic acid Cysteine sulfinic acid is the organic compound with the nominal formula HO2SCH2CH(NH2)CO2H . It is a rare example of an amino acid bearing a sulfinic acid functional group. It is a white solid that is soluble in water. Like most natural amino acid ...

pathway,

is first oxidized to its sulfinic acid, catalyzed by the enzyme

cysteine dioxygenase Cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) is a non-heme iron enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of L-cysteine to cysteine sulfinic acid (cysteine sulfinate). CDO plays an important role in cysteine catabolism, regulating intracellular levels of cysteine and res ...

. Cysteine sulfinic acid, in turn, is decarboxylated by sulfinoalanine decarboxylase to form hypotaurine. Hypotaurine is enzymatically oxidized to yield taurine by hypotaurine dehydrogenase. Degradation of Cysteine to Taurine

References

Amines Sulfinic acids Glycine receptor agonists {{nervous-system-drug-stub