Catecholamines dopamine melanin

The possible role of defective melanogenesis [119, 138] has already been mentioned, although it is not clear what part the pigments of the substantia nigra play in normal synthesis and utilisation of dopamine. In this context, however, it is significant that Parkinsonian patients showed a tenfold decrease in activity of peroxidase, an enzyme which mediates the conversion of catecholamines to melanins and the functions of which may be defective in Parkinsonism [285], Other abnormalities in dopamine metabolism may also play roles in addition to the now established [54, 55] depletion of aromatic... 

Copper is part of several essential enzymes including tyrosinase (melanin production), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (catecholamine production), copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (free radical detoxification), and cytochrome oxidase and ceruloplasmin (iron conversion) (Aaseth and Norseth 1986). All terrestrial animals contain copper as a constituent of cytochrome c oxidase, monophenol oxidase, plasma monoamine oxidase, and copper protein complexes (Schroeder et al. 1966). Excess copper causes a variety of toxic effects, including altered permeability of cellular membranes. The primary target for free cupric ions in the cellular membranes are thiol groups that reduce cupric (Cu+2) to cuprous (Cu+1) upon simultaneous oxidation to disulfides in the membrane. Cuprous ions are reoxidized to Cu+2 in the presence of molecular oxygen molecular oxygen is thereby converted to the toxic superoxide radical O2, which induces lipoperoxidation (Aaseth and Norseth 1986). 

A combination of decarboxylation and hydroxyla-tion of the ring of tyrosine produces derivatives of o-dihydroxybenzene (catechol), which play important roles as neurotransmitters and are also precursors to melanin, the black pigment of skin and hair. Catecholamines may be formed by decarboxylation of tyrosine into tyramine (step e, Fig. 25-5) and subsequent oxidation. However, the quantitatively more important route is hydroxylation by the reduced pterin-dependent tyrosine hydroxylase (Chapter 18) to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, better known as dopa. The latter is decarboxylated to dopamine.1313 Hydroxylation of dopamine by an ascorbic acid and... 

The answer is e. (Murray, pp 307-346. Scriver, pp 1667—1724. Sack, pp 121-138. Wilson, pp 287—3177) In humans, tyrosine can be formed by the hydroxylation of phenylalanine. This reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase. A deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase results in the disease called phenylketonuria [PKU(261600)]. In this disease it is usually the accumulation of phenylalanine and its metabolites rather than the lack of tyrosine that is the cause of the severe mental retardation ultimately seen. Once formed, tyrosine is the precursor of many important signal molecules. Catalyzed by tyrosine hydroxylase, tyrosine is hydroxylated to form L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa), which in turn is decarboxylated to form dopamine in the presence of dopa decarboxylase. Then, norepinephrine and finally epinephrine are formed from dopamine. All of these are signal molecules to some degree. Dopa and inhibitors of dopa decarboxylase are used in the treatment of Parkinson s disease, a neurologic disorder. Norepinephrine is a transmitter at smooth-muscle junctions innervated by sympathetic nerve libers. Epinephrine and dopamine are catecholamine transmitters synthesized in sympathetic nerve terminals and in the adrenal gland. Tyrosine is also the precursor of thyroxine, the major thyroid hormone, and melanin, a skin pigment. 

Neurotransmitters, such as dopamine (DA) and epinephrine (EP), are catecholamines that undergo complex multistep oxidation processes in aqueous solution via coupled ET, proton transfer (2e , 2H at physiological pH), but with the complication of side reactions to form melanin-like compounds that can block electrode surfaces [193]. Such processes are expected to follow a classical scheme of squares [194], and are of considerable interest for the practical detection of neurotransmitters, as carbon electrodes have become the electroanalytical platform of choice [5, 60, 195]. This is due to a desirable range of properties including biocompatibihty, chemical inertness, and low background current that are responsible for lower detection hmits, wide potential windows, and low... 

As a part of their research prograirune on the chemistry of melanins. Swan and his group in Newcastle have recently studied the tyrosine catalysed and auto-oxidation of dopamine (19) and DOPA (3) and a number of related compounds [57-60]. This group has also investigated the oxidation of 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylethylamine (20) and synthesised a number of dimeric catecholamines 5,5, 6,6 -tetrahydroxy biphenyl-3,3 -ylenedi(ethyla-mine) (21) 5,5, 6,6 -tetrahydroxybiphenyl-2,2 -ylenedi(ethylamine) (22) 5,5, 6,6 -tetrahydroxybiphenyl-2,3 -ylenedi(ethylamine) (23) 2,3-bis(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)butane-l,4-diamine (24) and 5,5, 6,6 -tetrahydroxybi-phenyl-3,3 -ylenedialanine (25) [58] and studied their tyrosinase catalysed oxidation, autoxidation, and oxidation with silver oxide, to melanins [59]. 

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