β-Lysine (3,6-diaminohexanoic acid) is an amino acid produced by platelets during coagulation and is directly antibacterial by causing lysis of many Gram positive bacteria by acting as a cationic detergent. Beta Lysine contains a side chain with an amino group and is the beta form of the amino acid Lysine. Beta-Lysine can hydrogen bond at its carboxylic acid residue. Lysine is an amino acid that acts as a site for ubiquitination enzymes to bind to and branch from. Lysine is a positively charged amino acid due to its amino side chain (that contains an amine). This allows Beta-Lysine to directly interact with the negatively charged phosphate groups within nucleotides. Beta-lysine is a non-specific immune defense factor that can be found in the blood of many animals, including birds this contributes to the innate immune system. Beta-Lysine in turn, can be a form of measure, of overall immune activity. Beta-Lysine activity is also responsive to many immunomodulators, such as preparations containing bacterial lipopolysaccharides, which increase the musical immune response which then leads to an increase in Beta-Lysine activity, further solidifying Beta-Lysine as an indicator and form of measure for innate immune response.
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