This arginine metabolite (FWfree-base = 130.19 g/mol), also known as 4- (aminobutyl)guanidine, is a putative endogenous agonist at imidazoline receptors and a ligand for a2-adrenergic receptors. Agmatine is also a precursor in the biosynthesis of a phosphagen (i.e., phosphoagmatine) in certain invertebrates. In addition, agmatine blocks NMDA-activated channels in hippocampal neurons. Agmatine is a product of the reactions catalyzed by arginine decarboxylase, diguanidinobutanase, and acylagmatine amidase. Target(s): GfMEP thermostable lysine-specific metalloendopeptidase; polyamine oxidase; trypsin; nitricoxide synthase; ancrod; diamine oxidase, weakly inhibited; Arginase; arginine 2-monooxygenase; guanidinobutyrase; N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors; Sadenosylmethionine decarboxylase; cyanophycin synthetase; voltage-gated Ca2+ channels; arginine decarboxylase; ornithine decarboxylase; arginine deaminase; peptidyl-Lys metalloendopeptidase; venombin A3; arginine kinase; guanidinoacetate kinase; deoxyhypusine synthase; spermidine synthase; arginine N-succinyltransferase; ornithine carbamoyltransferase.
