Citrulline is made from ornithine and carbamoyl phosphate in one of the central reactions in the urea cycle. It is also produced from arginine as a byproduct of the reaction catalyzed by NOS family (NOS; EC 1.14.13.39).[9] It is also prevalent in trichohyalin at the inner root sheath and medulla of hair follicles, where it is synthesized from arginine.[10]Arginine is first oxidized into N-hydroxyl-arginine, which is then further oxidized to citrulline concomitant with release of nitric oxide.
Citrulline is a metabolic intermediate within the urea cycle, which is the pathway by which mammals excrete ammonia by converting it into urea. Citrulline is also produced as a byproduct of the enzymatic production of nitric oxide from the amino acid arginine, catalyzed by nitric oxide synthase. In the yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, citrulline is a metabolic intermediate in the latter, cytosolic half of the arginine biosynthesis pathway.[12]
Several proteins contain citrulline as a result of a post-translational modification. These citrulline residues are generated by a family of enzymes called peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs), which convert arginine into citrulline in a process called citrullination or deimination with the help of calcium ions. Proteins that normally contain citrulline residues include myelin basic protein (MBP), filaggrin, and several histone proteins, whereas other proteins, such as fibrin and vimentin are susceptible to citrullination during cell death and tissue inflammation.
Circulating citrulline concentration is a biomarker of intestinal functionality.[13][14]
Commercial use
L-citrulline is sold as a dietary supplement, usually in powder form. Advocates suggest that since L-citrulline boosts nitric oxide production, helping arterial function and thus blood flow throughout the body, this might be helpful in treating or preventing various ailments.
Lowering blood pressure in people with elevated blood pressure.
^"Citrulline - Compound Summary". PubChem Compound. USA: National Center for Biotechnology Information. 16 September 2004. Identification. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
^Koga, Yatarō; Ōtake, Ryō (1914). "Study report on the constituents of squeezed watermelon". Tokyo Kagaku Kaishi [Journal of the Tokyo Chemical Society]. 35 (5): 519–528. doi:10.1246/nikkashi1880.35.519.
^Wada, Mitsunori (1930). "On the occurrence of a new amino acid in watermelon. Citrullus vulgaris, Schrad". Proceedings of the Imperial Academy. 6 (1): 15–17. doi:10.2183/pjab1912.6.15.
^Wada, Mitsunori (1930). "On the occurrence of a new amino acid in watermelon, Citrullus vulgaris, Schrad". Bulletin of the Agricultural Chemical Society of Japan. 6 (1–5): 32–34. doi:10.1271/bbb1924.6.32.
^Wada, Mitsunori (1930). "Über Citrullin, eine neue Aminosäure im Preßsaft der Wassermelone, Citrullus vulgaris, Schrad". Biochemische Zeitschrift (in German). 224: 420–429.
^Rogers, G. E.; Rothnagel, J. A. (1983). "A sensitive assay for the enzyme activity in hair follicles and epidermis that catalyses the peptidyl-arginine-citrulline post-translational modification". Current Problems in Dermatology. 11: 171–184. doi:10.1159/000408673. ISBN978-3-8055-3752-0. PMID6653155.