background:
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is an enzyme of the mitochondrial outer membrane and catalyzes the oxidative deamination of biogenic amines throughout the body (1). MAO is critical in the neuronal metabolism of catecholamine and indolamine transmitters (2). Cultured skin fibroblasts show both MAO-A and MAO-B and both MAOs differ in molecular structure (1). MAO-A, the primary type in fibroblasts, preferentially degrades serotonin and norepinephrine (3). Only MAO-B is present in platelets and only MAO-A is present in trophoblasts (1). MAO-B, the primary type found not only in platelets but also in the brain of man and other primates, preferentially degrades phenylethylamine and benzylamine (3). MAO has been of particular interest to psychiatry and genetics because of the suggestion that low activity is a ‘genetic marker’ for schizophrenia (4). The genes which encode MAO-A and MAO-B map to human chromosome Xp11.23 (5).
Function:
Catalyzes the oxidative deamination of biogenic and xenobiotic amines and has important functions in the metabolism of neuroactive and vasoactive amines in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. MAOB preferentially degrades benzylamine and phenylethylamine.
Subunit:
Monomer, homo- or heterodimer (containing two subunits of similar size). Each subunit contains a covalently bound flavin. Enzymatically active as monomer (By similarity).
Subcellular Location:
Mitochondrion outer membrane.
Similarity:
Belongs to the flavin monoamine oxidase family.
Database links:
Entrez Gene: 4129 Human
Entrez Gene: 109731 Mouse
Entrez Gene: 25750 Rat
Omim: 309860 Human
SwissProt: P27338 Human
SwissProt: Q8BW75 Mouse
SwissProt: P19643 Rat
Unigene: 654473 Human
Unigene: 241656 Mouse
Unigene: 6656 Rat
Important Note:
This product as supplied is intended for research use only, not for use in human, therapeutic or diagnostic applications.
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