Tissue distribution of human monoamine oxidase A and B mRNA.
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B play important roles in the metabolism of biogenic amines. Northern analysis using 32P-labeled subfragments of human liver MAO A and B cDNA clones detected a 5- and a 3-kb transcript, respectively, in most human tissues examined. However, fetal heart and thymus express minute amounts of MAO A transcript, whereas fetal brain, muscle, thymus, spleen, meninges, and placenta express minute amounts of MAO B transcript. Small intestine and placenta express, in addition to the MAO A 5-kb transcript, a 2-kb transcript, which may arise from an alternative polyadenylation site. MAO A and B transcripts are expressed in similar regions of adult human brain. The highest concentrations of these transcripts were located in frontal cortex and locus coeruleus. This study demonstrates the tissue-specific distribution of the MAO genes and will provide insight into the physiological functions of MAO A and B.
Division of Biological Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90033.
J
J
Grimsby
N C
NC
Lan
R
R
Neve
K
K
Chen
J C
JC
Shih
D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000235:genetics*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010920:Placenta / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics
D007527:Isoenzymes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase