title: Distribution and functions of catechol-O-methyltransferase proteins: do recent findings change the picture?
abstract: Old and new results show that both catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) forms are found in all mouse tissues, demonstrating that COMT is a ubiquitous enzyme. Some novel findings are obvious when considering differences between old and new distribution data. In addition to the brain, membrane-bound form of COMT (MB-COMT) is found also in most peripheral mouse tissues at about equal amounts as soluble form of COMT (S-COMT), suggesting that their functions do not need to be very different. There are large differences between the species in the relative distribution of S-COMT and MB-COMT. According to the new data, it is evident that even in the animal tissues MB-COMT is not associated with the plasma membranes but with intracellular membranes, and that S-COMT resides not only in the cytoplasm but even in the nucleus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Timo T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Myöhänen
authors.forename: Pekka T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Männistö
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase