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Felinine stability in the presence of selected urine compounds

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Summary.

The stability of felinine, an amino acid present in feline urine, was investigated. Synthetic felinine was unstable in the urine of a selection of mammals. Felinine was found to stable in feline urine in which urea had been degraded. Synthetic felinine was found to react specifically with urea and did not react with urea analogues such as biuret or thiourea or other nucleophilic compounds such as ammonia which is more nucleophilic or acetamide and water which are less nucleophilic than urea. The reaction of urea and felinine was independent of pH over the range of 3–10. Urea did not react with N-acetyl-felinine suggesting a felinine N-terminal interaction with urea. Mass spectral analysis of the reaction products showed the presence of carbamylated felinine and fragmentation ions derived from carbamyl-felinine. The physiological relevance of felinine carbamylation is yet to be determined.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    S. M. Rutherfurd & M. C. McGrath

  2. Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    T. M. Kitson

  3. Industrial Research Ltd., Lower Hutt, New Zealand

    A. D. Woolhouse

  4. Nutrition Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    W. H. Hendriks

Authors
  1. S. M. Rutherfurd
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  2. T. M. Kitson
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  3. A. D. Woolhouse
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  4. M. C. McGrath
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  5. W. H. Hendriks
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Rutherfurd, S., Kitson, T., Woolhouse, A. et al. Felinine stability in the presence of selected urine compounds. Amino Acids 32, 235–242 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-006-0369-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-006-0369-z

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