Application

Putrescine dihydrochloride has been used as medium component in F-12 + GlutaMax medium for mice ganglia culture, retinal ganglion cell culture and in HCT116 colon carcinoma cells for ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) assay.

Biochem/physiol Actions

Putrescine is regarded as a marker of stress in plants. External supplementation of putrescine helps wheat plants to overcome drought stress. It is crucial for cell proliferation in animals and modulates abscisic acid (ABA) levels during cold stress in Arabidopsis plants. It serves as an attractant for predators.

Binds to the polyamine modulatory site of the NMDA receptor and potentiates NMDA-induced currents; precursor of spermidine.

General description

Putrescine is an end product of fatty acid metabolism in dead tissues. It is a volatile diamine with pungent odour. It is synthesized by the decarboxylation of ornithine in the presence of enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase. Molecular docking studies reveal the binding of putrescine to human receptors called the trace amine-associated receptors (TAAR6 and TAAR8), present in olfactory epithelium.