Biosynthesis Ergothioneine 497-30-3 EGT with Best Price Ergothioneine is a thiourea derivative of the betaine of histidine and contains a sulfur atom bonded to the 2-position of the imidazole ring. This compound is unusual since the sulfur atom is most stable in solution in thethione form, rather than the sulfhydryl. This makes ergothioneine much less reactive than thiols such asglutathione towards alkylating agents like maleimides, and also prevents the compound from oxidizing in air.However, ergothioneine can be slowly oxidized over several days to the disulfide form in acidic solutions. If ergothioneine does become oxidized, the disulfide is a very strong oxidizing agent, so this will in turn rapidly oxidize other thiols in the cell such as glutathione.

Ergothioneine is a naturally occurring amino acid and is a thiourea derivative of histidine, containing a sulfur atom on the imidazole ring. This compound is made in relatively few organisms, notably Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and certain fungi.  Ergothioneine requires a specific transporter, ETT, also known as OCTN1 (gene symbol SLC22A4), to enter cells. ETT expression has been confirmed in human and animal cell lines and its functional ability to transport ergothioneine has been confirmed in vivo.