N-Acetylputrescine is a polyamine commonly occurring excreted in normal human urine. N-Acetylputrescine is the most abundant of all polyamines both in normal individuals and in patients with leukemia. N-Acetylputrescine is the N-acetylated form of the naturally occurring polyamine called putrescine. The N-acetylation is mediated by the enzyme diamine N-acetyltransferase. Putrescine is related to cadaverine (another polyamine). Both are produced by the breakdown of amino acids in living and dead organisms and both are toxic in large doses. Putrescine and cadaverine are largely responsible for the foul odor of putrefying flesh, but also contribute to the odor of such processes as bad breath and bacterial vaginosis. Putrescine is also found in semen. Putrescine attacks s-adenosyl methionine and converts it to spermidine. Spermidine in turn attacks another s-adenosyl methionine and converts it to spermine. Putrescine is synthesized in small quantities by healthy living cells by the action of ornithine decarboxylase. N-Acetylputrescine can be found in Corynebacterium as well.