Definition
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is an enzyme that utilizes oxidative deamination to catalyze the breakdown, or metabolism, reactions of various monoamine neurotransmitters such as the catecholamines (norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine) and the indoleamines (serotonin and melatonin) to inactive products. Monoamine oxidase is the target for a class of antidepressants known as the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), which include phenelzine, tranylcypromine, and selegiline as the more popular agents of the class. The MAOIs were the first clinically effective antidepressants. There are two subtypes of MAO, type A (MAO-A) and type B (MAO-B). Whereas MAO-A is responsible for metabolizing norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, MAO-B is more selective for dopamine. Therefore, the inhibition of MAO-A is necessary for antidepressant effects.
However, tyramine, a naturally occurring compound found in aged meats, cheeses, and some other foods, is a potent releaser of norepinephrine,...
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Rey, J.A. (2018). Monoamine Oxidase. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1742
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1742
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