N-Arachidonoyl taurine is an arachidonoyl amino acid. It is oxygenated by 12(S)- and 15(S)-lipoxygenase and is converted to 12-HETE-taurine (12-HETE-T) in murine resident peritoneal macrophages. N-Arachidonoyl taurine is an activator of the transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channels TRPV1 and TRPV4 (EC50s = 28 and 21 μM, respectively). It increases calcium flux in HIT-T15 pancreatic β-cells and INS-1 rat islet cells when used at a concentration of 10 μM and increases insulin secretion from 832/13 INS-1 pancreatic β-cells. The levels of N-arachidonoyl taurine are changed in mouse brain following administration of δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (δ9-THC).

N-Oleoyl taurine, an amino-acyl endocannabinoid isolated from rat brain, along with several arachidonoyl amino acids such as N-arachidonoyl dopamine and N-arachidonoyl serine, have been derived from bovine brain. Mass spectral lipidomics analysis of rat brain revealed a series of fatty acyl amides of taurine, marking the discovery of a new class of compounds. These compounds, found in the kidney, are known to activate members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of calcium channels, with N-Oleoyl taurine specifically potentially activating TRPV1 and TRPV4 channels.

N-Arachidonoyl dopamine (NADA) and N-Arachidonoyl serine (ARA-S), among various arachidonoyl amino acids, have been extracted from bovine brain, while a novel series of fatty acyl amides of taurine were unearthed in rat brain through mass spectral lipidomic analysis, indicating the discovery of a new class of compounds also located in the kidney. These compounds are known to activate members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of calcium channels. Notably, N-Stearoyl taurine emerges as a significant amino-acyl endocannabinoid identified in rat brain lipidomics profiling.

N-Palmitoyl taurine, an amino-acyl endocannabinoid prominent in rat brain lipidomics profiling, accompanies multiple arachidonoyl amino acids isolated from bovine brain, including N-arachidonoylethanolamine (NADA) and N-arachidonoyl serine (ARA-S). Mass spectral lipidomic analysis of rat brain additionally revealed a series of fatty acyl amides with taurine. The function of N-Palmitoyl taurine is under investigation.

N-Acyl taurines, such as N-lignoceroyl taurine, alongside various arachidonoyl amino acid conjugates like N-arachidonoyl dopamine and N-arachidonoyl-L-serine, have been identified in bovine brain and through mass spectrometry lipidomic studies in the brain and spinal cord of both wild-type and FAAH knockout mice. Notably, N-lignoceroyl taurine levels were found to be 23-26 times higher in FAAH knockout mice than in wild types, suggesting its degradation by FAAH, despite in vitro evidence showing FAAH hydrolyzes N-lignoceroyl taurine significantly slower than oleoyl ethanolamide. Additionally, N-acyl taurines with polyunsaturated acyl chains are known to activate TRPV1 and TRPV4 channels within the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of calcium channels.