Taurine may exert some of its beneficial physiological effects by binding to proteins. For example, it is known that taurine can bind to transport proteins and in this way affects the flux of ions such as calcium. However, it is unclear as to which other non-transport proteins taurine may bind to, and on which bonding sites this may occur. Further, many studies that have shown potential binding of taurine to proteins have not done so at physiologically relevant concentrations and so it is unclear as to what effects taurine is having on cellular proteins. One aspect of taurine binding that shows promise in terms of accumulating evidence is the ability of taurine to bind to receptors that are involved in inhibitory neurotransmission such as GABA or glycine. However, this binding may be indirect and taurine may not be a ligand for these receptors. However, that does not mean that taurine is ineffective at altering GABA and glycine neurotransmission, because evidence suggests that it can. For example, it is known that taurine stimulates the influx of chlorine ions and this hyperpolarises the cell membrane, making further neurotransmission less likely. Therefore taurine may directly or indirectly stimulate the chloride ion channel in cell membranes, possibly through interaction with inhibitory neurotransmission systems.
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Huxtable, R. J. 1992. Physiological actions of taurine. Physiological Reviews. 72(1): 101-163
