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Basic Mechanisms of Kynurenine Actions in the Central Nervous System

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Recent Advances in Tryptophan Research

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 398))

Abstract

The kynurenine pathway represents the major biochemical route for the metabolism of L-tryptophan in mammals. The pathway is particularly important in the central nervous system (CNS), since the ‘precursor responsiveness’ of the pathway exceeds that of tryptophan metabolism via 5-hydroxytryptamine (Freese et al. 1990; Stone, 1993).. Any procedure which alters the systemic availability of tryptophan will therefore have important consequences for CNS function. In particular, it is now well established that within the CNS, the kynurenine pathway lead to the formation of two compounds — quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid — with activity at receptors for neurotransmitter amino acids.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Scotland

    T. W. Stone, D. G. MacGregor, R. A. Smith, P. Jones, W. M. H. Behan & D. I. Graham

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  1. T. W. Stone
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  2. D. G. MacGregor
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  3. R. A. Smith
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  4. P. Jones
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  5. W. M. H. Behan
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  6. D. I. Graham
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Graziella Allegri Filippini , Carlo V. L. Costa  & Antonella Bertazzo ,  & 

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© 1996 Plenum Press, New York

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Stone, T.W., MacGregor, D.G., Smith, R.A., Jones, P., Behan, W.M.H., Graham, D.I. (1996). Basic Mechanisms of Kynurenine Actions in the Central Nervous System. In: Filippini, G.A., Costa, C.V.L., Bertazzo, A. (eds) Recent Advances in Tryptophan Research. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 398. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0381-7_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0381-7_32

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-8026-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0381-7

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