Kynurenine

l-Kynurenine
Names
	Preferred IUPAC name (2S)-2-Amino-4-(2-aminophenyl)-4-oxo-butanoic acid
	Other names (S)-Kynurenine
Identifiers
CAS Number	343-65-7 (d/l) ; 2922-83-0 (l) ; 13441-51-5 (d) ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChEBI	CHEBI:57959 ;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL498416 ;
ChemSpider	141580 ;
DrugBank	DB02070 ;
MeSH	Kynurenine
PubChem CID	846 (d/l); 1152206 (d); 161166 (l);
UNII	02JW4J5R44;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID101031182 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/C10H12N2O3/c11-7-4-2-1-3-6(7)9(13)5-8(12)10(14)15/h1-4,8H,5,11-12H2,(H,14,15)/t8-/m0/s1 Key: YGPSJZOEDVAXAB-QMMMGPOBSA-N ;
	SMILES c1ccc(c(c1)C(=O)C[C@@H](C(=O)O)N)N;
Properties
Chemical formula	C10H12N2O3
Molar mass	208.217 g·mol−1
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

l-Kynurenine is a metabolite of the amino acid l-tryptophan used in the production of niacin.

Kynurenine is synthesized by the enzyme tryptophan dioxygenase, which is made primarily but not exclusively in the liver, and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, which is made in many tissues in response to immune activation. An important source is the intestine. Kynurenine and its further breakdown products carry out diverse biological functions, including dilating blood vessels during inflammation and regulating the immune response. Some cancers increase kynurenine production, which increases tumor growth.