Taurine-Conjugated Metabolites in Hearts

Mammalian tissues, especially the heart, contain high concentrations of taurine, a beta-amino acid that possesses a variety of physiological functions. While it is well known that taurine reacts with several metabolites, such as bile acids and fatty acids, taurine-conjugated metabolites in the heart have not been specifically studied. Recently, we performed Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry- (LC-MS-) based metabolome analysis, comparing metabolome profiles of hearts from taurine transporter knockout (TauTKO) mice and wild-type mice to identify differences in taurine-conjugated metabolite content of the two phenotypes. Comparison of the metabolite profiles revealed taurine-containing dipeptides, such as glutamyltaurine, which are present in wild-type but not in TauTKO hearts. These data suggest that taurine functions not only as a free osmolyte but also as a conjugated metabolite within the heart.