Acylcarnitine C5 Unit Converter

Acylcarnitine C5 is a group of five-carbon acylcarnitine molecules formed when branched-chain amino acid intermediates are conjugated with carnitine inside mitochondria. It primarily reflects the breakdown of the amino acids leucine and isoleucine.

The C5 signal measured in standard lab tests is actually a composite of several molecules with the same molecular weight: isovalerylcarnitine (from leucine, typically 44–80% of total C5), 2-methylbutyrylcarnitine (from isoleucine, typically 19–54%), and trace amounts of pivaloylcarnitine and valerylcarnitine.

C5 acylcarnitine acts as a transport form that shuttles these acyl groups out of mitochondria for excretion. When the enzymes responsible for processing these intermediates are blocked or overloaded, C5 levels rise.

C5 acylcarnitine is produced in the mitochondria of cells throughout the body when intermediate products of leucine and isoleucine breakdown (isovaleryl-CoA and 2-methylbutyryl-CoA) are conjugated with L-carnitine for transport and excretion.