title: The human serotonin N-acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.87) gene (AANAT): structure, chromosomal localization, and tissue expression.
abstract: Serotonin N-acetyltransferase (arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, AA-NAT, HGMW-approved symbol AANAT; EC 2.3.1.87) is the penultimate enzyme in melatonin synthesis and controls the night/day rhythm in melatonin production in the vertebrate pineal gland. We have found that the human AA-NAT gene spans approximately 2.5 kb, contains four exons, and is located at chromosome 17q25. The open reading frame encodes a 23.2-kDa protein that is approximately 80% identical to sheep and rat AA-NAT. The AA-NAT transcript (approximately 1 kb) is highly abundant in the pineal gland and is expressed at lower levels in the retina and in the Y79 retinoblastoma cell line. AA-NAT mRNA is also detectable at low levels in several brain regions and the pituitary gland, but not in several peripheral tissues examined. Brain and pituitary AA-NAT could modulate serotonin-dependent aspects of human behavior and pituitary function.
authors.affiliation: Section on Neuroendocrinology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Coon
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mazuruk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Roseboom
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D047068:Arylalkylamine N-Acetyltransferase; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012756:Sheep; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase; C478879:AANAT protein, human; D047068:Arylalkylamine N-Acetyltransferase