描述
3-Dehydrocarnitine is a member of the carnitine family that is an intermediate in carnitine degradation. It can be formed from either D-carnitine or L-carnitine and the enzyme responsible for this oxidation reaction is (S)-carnitine 3-dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.254) or Carnitine 3-dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.108) respectively. Carnitine is a quaternary ammonium compound biosynthesized from the amino acids lysine and methionine. In living cells, it is required for the transport of fatty acids from the cytosol into the mitochondria during the breakdown of lipids (or fats) for the generation of metabolic energy. [HMDB]