Isolation of a new opine, β-alanopine, from the extracts of the muscle of the marine bivalve mollusc, Scapharca broughtonii

1. 1. A new opine compound, β-alanopine [N-(d-1-carboxyethyl)-β-alanine] was isolated from the muscle of the blood shell, Scapharca broughtonii. 2. 2. β-Alanopine dehydrogenase activity, which catalyzes the reductive condensation of β-alanine and pyruvate, was confirmed in this bivalve mollusc. 3. 3. Since tissues of this bivalve showed a high β-alanopine dehydrogenase activity and contained large amounts of β-alanine, β-alanopine dehydrogenase may play an important physiological role in the regulation of cytoplasmic redox balance like other opine dehydrogenases.