Monoamine oxidases -amines

Patients receiving monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) as antidepressant therapy have been especially subject to the hypertensive effects of vasoactive amines (52). These dietary amines have also been impHcated as causative agents ia migraine. Other aaturaHy occurring alkaloids (qv) have been recognized for centuries as possessing neurological stimulant and depressant properties. 

MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitor. An agent that blocks one of the enzymes that deaminates amines. 

Ubiquitous mitochondrial monoamine oxidase [monoamine oxygen oxidoreductase (deaminating) (flavin-containing) EC 1.4.3.4 MAO] exists in two forms, namely type A and type B [ monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B]. They are responsible for oxidative deamination of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, including neurotransmitters, adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine (DA), and serotonin and vasoactive amines, such as tyramine and phenylethylamine. Their nonselec-tive and selective inhibitors ( selective MAO-A and -B inhibitors) are employed for the treatment of depressive illness and Parkinson s disease (PD). 

The synthesis and metabolism of trace amines and monoamine neurotransmitters largely overlap [1]. The trace amines PEA, TYR and TRP are synthesized in neurons by decarboxylation of precursor amino acids through the enzyme aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC). OCT is derived from TYR. by involvement of the enzyme dopamine (3-hydroxylase (Fig. 1 DBH). The catabolism of trace amines occurs in both glia and neurons and is predominantly mediated by monoamine oxidases (MAO-A and -B). While TYR., TRP and OCT show approximately equal affinities toward MAO-A and MAO-B, PEA serves as preferred substrate for MAO-B. The metabolites phenylacetic acid (PEA), hydroxyphenylacetic acid (TYR.), hydroxymandelic acid (OCT), and indole-3-acetic (TRP) are believed to be pharmacologically inactive. 

Trace Amines. Figure 1 The main routes of trace amine metabolism. The trace amines (3-phenylethylamine (PEA), p-tyramine (TYR), octopamine (OCT) and tryptamine (TRP), highlighted by white shading, are each generated from their respective precursor amino acids by decarboxylation. They are rapidly metabolized by monoamine oxidase (MAO) to the pharmacologically inactive carboxylic acids. To a limited extent trace amines are also A/-methylated to the corresponding secondary amines which are believed to be pharmacologically active. Abbreviations AADC, aromatic amino acid decarboxylase DBH, dopamine b-hydroxylase NMT, nonspecific A/-methyltransferase PNMT, phenylethanolamine A/-methyltransferase TH, tyrosine hydroxylase. 

The TCAs, such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and dox-epin (Sinequan), inhibit reuptake of norepinephrine or serotonin at the presynaptic neuron. Drug classified as MAOIs inhibit the activity of monoamine oxidase a complex enzyme system that is responsible for breaking down amines. This results in an increase in endogenous epinephrine, norepinephrine and serotonin in the nervous system. An increase in these neurohormones results in stimulation of the CNS. The action of the SSRIs is linked to their inhibition of CNS neuronal uptake of serotonin (a CNS neurotransmitter). The increase in serotonin levels is thought to act as a stimulant to reverse depression. 

Recently Turner and coworkers have sought to extend the deracemization method beyond a-amino acids to encompass chiral amines. Chiral amines are increasingly important building blocks for pharmaceutical compounds that are either in clinical development or currently licensed for use as drugs (Figure 5.7). At the outset of this work, it was known that type II monoamine oxidases were able to catalyze the oxidation of simple amines to imines in an analogous fashion to amino acid oxidases. However, monoamine oxidases generally possess narrow substrate specificity and moreover have been only documented to catalyze the oxidation of simple, nonchiral... 

Upon mutagenesis of the monoamine oxidase from Aspergillus niger (MAO-N) within several rounds of directed evolution [65], variant biocatalysts were identified with largely expanded substrate acceptance, enabling also the deracemization of tertiary amines incorporating straight-chain and cyclic structural motifs [66]. 

Chiba K, Trevor A, Castagnoli N. Metabolism of the neurotoxic tertiary amine, MPTP, by brain monoamine oxidase. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1984 120 547-578. 

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is a mammalian flavin-containing enzyme that catalyzes oxidation of primary amines. While the neurotransmitter amines are... 

In contrast to the flavin-dependent monoamine oxidases, SSAO/VAP-1 has evolved to hydroxylate a tyrosine residue in the active site which is further oxidized to the quinone state by oxygen in the presence of copper ion releasing hydrogen peroxide [28-30]. The primary amine in the substrate (R-NH2, Scheme 1) forms a Schiff-base with the quinone carbonyl group, which through a series of steps ultimately releases the aldehyde product. 

Salach JI, Singer TP, Castagnoli N, Jr, et al. Oxidation of the neurotoxic amine l-methyl-4-phenyl-l,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) by monoamine oxidases A and B and suicide inactivation of the enzymes by MPTP. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1984 125(2) 831-835. 

Inhibition of monoamine oxidase B by allenic amines R. A. Smith, R. L. White,... 

Deamination Primary amines Monoamine oxidases Aldehydes... 

Yamada N, Takahashi S, Todd KG, Baker GB, Paetsch PR. 1993. Effects of two substituted hydrazine monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors on neurotransmitter amines, y-aminobutyric acid, and alanine in rat brain. J Pharm Sci 82 934. 

Yu AM, Granvil CP, Raining RL, Krausz KW, Corchero J, et al. 2003. The relative contribution of monoamine oxidase and cytochrome p450 isozymes to the metabolic deamination of the trace amine tryptamine. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 304 539-546. 

The process of oxidative deamination is the most important mechanism whereby all monoamines are inactivated (i.e. the catecholamines, 5-HT and the numerous trace amines such as phenylethylamine and tryptamine). Monoamine oxidase occurs in virtually all tissues, where it appears to be bound to the outer mitochondrial membrane. Whereas there are several specific and therapeutically useful monoamine oxidase inhibitors, inhibitors of catechol-O-methyltransferase have found little application. This is mainly due to the fact that at most only 10% of the monoamines released from the nerve terminal are catabolized by this enzyme. The main pathways involved in the catabolism of the catecholamines are shown in Figure 2.16. 

There is evidence that the compartmentalization of 5-HT in the nerve terminal is important in regulating its synthesis. It appears that 5-HT is synthesized in excess of normal physiological requirements and that some of the amine which is not immediately transported into the storage vesicle is metabolized by intraneuronal monoamine oxidase. Another autoregulatory mechanism governing 5-HT synthesis relies on the rise in the intersynaptic concentration of the amine stimulating the autoreceptor of the nerve terminal. 

Figure 2.18. The major pathway leading to the synthesis and metabolism of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). Metabolism of tryptophan to tryptamine is a minor pathway which may be of functional importance following administration of a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor. Tryptamine is a trace amine. L-Aromatic amino acid decarboxylase is also known to decarboxylate dopa and therefore the term "L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase" refers to both "dopa decarboxylase"...

---