Topic
Catechol-O-methyl transferase
About: Catechol-O-methyl transferase is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1646 publications have been published within this topic receiving 87360 citations.
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TL;DR: It is concluded that 6-aminodopamine-p-quinone (6-NH2DAQ) is perhaps the most toxic species toward catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT), however, the aminochromes which are formed from 6- NH2DAQ are also effective in inactivating COMT.
Abstract: 6-Aminodopamine (6-NH2DA) and various analogs of 6-NH2DA have been evaluated for their ability to inactivate purified catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) in vitro. The inactivation of COMT by these agents could be prevented by including an antioxidant in the preincubation mixture or by excluding oxygen; however, catalase did not protect the enzyme from inactivation. Substrate protection studies and kinetic studies suggested that the loss of enzyme activity resulted from the alkylation of an amino acid residue at the active site of COMT by the quinoid types products which were generated upon air oxidation of 6-NH2DA. In addition, we have explored in more detail the reactivity toward COMT of specific intermediates in the oxidation pathways of 6-NH2DA by using various 6-NH2DA analogs. From the above studies we have concluded that 6-aminodopamine-p-quinone (6-NH2DAQ) is perhaps the most toxic species toward COMT. However, the aminochromes which are formed from 6-NH2DAQ are also effective in inactivating COMT. The results of these studies have provided a useful model system for observing the interaction of 6-NH2DA and its oxidation products with proteins; in addition, it has provided additional insight into the topography of the active site of COMT.
23 citations
TL;DR: The results suggest that the COMT gene polymorphism in the therapeutic response to mood stabilizers in manic patients is significantly more frequent in the non-responder than in the responder group.
Abstract: Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is a candidate gene for the pathogenesis of some psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study is to examine the role of the COMT gene Val158Met polymorphism on the clinical aspects of bipolar disorder including symptomatology and therapeutic response. This study comprised 144 unrelated manic patients who met strict DSM-IV criteria for bipolar I disorder and 157 healthy unrelated controls. All subjects were of Korean ethnicity. To evaluate the clinical symptoms, we used the Young Mania Rating Scale at baseline and 6 weeks after treatment. No statistically significant difference in genotype distribution was found between manic patients and normal controls. There was also no significant difference in symptomatology among the genotypes in manic patients. In therapeutic response, however, patients with the Met/Met genotype were significantly more frequent in the non-responder than in the responder group. Our results suggest that the COMT gene polymorphism in the therapeutic response to mood stabilizers in manic patients. Further studies with a larger number of subjects and well-controlled design will be required to better understand the role of the COMT gene polymorphism on the therapeutic response to mood stabilizer in manic patients.
23 citations
TL;DR: Increase in acidity and CO2 and the fall in O2 content, all found in the placenta in connection with foetal asphyxia, individually reduced the decomposition of NE.
Abstract: Norepinephrine (NE) metabolism in 18 fresh, healthy and full-term placentas was studied. It was found that, in vitro, metabolism takes place in an oxygen atmosphere mainly through the action of monoamineoxidase (MAO). A reduction in the oxygen component pressure weakened the activity of MAO but not significantly that of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Increase in acidity also reduced MAO activity, but its fall to a level as low as pH 8.4 did not significantly affect the activity of either enzyme. After the addition of MgCl2 and Sadenosyl methionine a significant increase in the NMN share during 10 min incubation was noted. However, these additions did not improve the decomposition of NE but reduced the proportion of DOMA. Pyrogallol failed to inhibit COMT but produced a significant reduction in the proportion of dihydroxymandelic acid (DOMA). Increase in acidity and CO2 and the fall in O2 content, all found in the placenta in connection with foetal asphyxia, individually reduced the decomposition of NE.
23 citations
TL;DR: The experiments reveal a new class of COMT inhibitors that may be of pharmacological and mechanistic value and are suggested to be “nonmethylatable” COMT inhibitor because they exist as quinoidal tautomers resembling pyridones or tropolones rather than as catechols.
Abstract: We report that 6,7-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinolines related to dopamine are potent inhibitors of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), but are not apparent substrates for the enzyme in vitro or in vivo. Three dihy-droxy (catecholic) dihydroisoquinolines, including the 1-benzyl (DesDHP) and the 1-methyl (DSAL) analogs, were found to inhibit COMT activity in rat liver supernatant more effectively than the well-known inhibitor, tropolone. Inhibition of O-methylation was uncompetitive with substrate, and O-methylated products of the catecholic dihydroisoquinolines were undetectable. For these in vitro studies, a facile liquid chromatographic assay was developed utilizing as a site-specific substrate, 1-methyl-6,7-dihydroxy-tetrahydroisoquinoline-1 -carboxylate (salsolinol-1-carboxylate). This catechol produces only one phenolic product isomer when incubated with liver supernatant and S-adenosylmethionine. Following central injection of DSAL in rats, inhibition of brain COMT in vivo was indicated by the reduced brain levels of homovanillic acid, but not of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. Furthermore, O-methylated DSAL metabolites could not be detected in brain by liquid or gas chromatography. We suggest that 6,7–dihydroxy-dihydroisoquinolines are “nonmethylatable” COMT inhibitors because they exist as quinoidal tautomers resembling pyridones or tropolones rather than as catechols. Quinoid formation is supported by the fluorescence and ultraviolet spectra for DSAL and its O-methyl derivatives. The experiments reveal a new class of COMT inhibitors that may be of pharmacological and mechanistic value. Additionally, 3,4-dihydroisoquinolines could arise endogenously via oxidation of the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines which are ingested or produced from cellular catecholamine condensations. However, it is unlikely that dihydroisoquinoline (e.g., DSAL) concentrations necessary to inhibit COMT significantly would be attained via endogenous pathways.
22 citations
TL;DR: The null association with smoking and alcohol and the pronounced association with increasing BMI among women further implicates COMT’s role in estrogen metabolism as a potentially culpable pathway and supports a need for comprehensive evaluation of COMT variations and their functional relevance as COMT may be an important molecular target to evaluate for new treatments regarding obesity.
Abstract: Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is an important modulator in the catabolism of extraneural dopamine, which plays an important role in drug reward mechanisms. It is hypothesized that genetic variations in the COMT gene, which can result in a three to fourfold difference in COMT enzyme activity, may be associated with several reward-motivated behaviors. The aim of our study was to examine the relationship between COMT polymorphisms with smoking, obesity and alcohol. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in COMT were genotyped in 2,371 participants selected randomly from the screening arm of the PLCO Cancer Screening Trial after stratifying by sex, age, and smoking status. Smoking, obesity, and alcohol consumption were assessed by questionnaire. SNP and haplotype associations were estimated using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) derived from conditional logistic regression models, adjusted for race/ethnicity. The COMT Ex4-76C > G (Leu136Leu) polymorphism was statistically significantly associated with individuals who had >30% increases in BMI from ages 20 to 50 years, compared to those with 0-5% increase in BMI (0-5%) over the same age period: (CC is referent; OR(CG )= 1.42, OR(GG )= 1.46, P (trend )= 0.06). By sex, the increased risk was further pronounced among females (OR(CG )= 1.50, OR(GG )= 2.10, P (trend )= 0.03). Consistent with our analyses of single polymorphisms, individuals whose BMI increased >30% from ages 20 to 50 years were more likely than individuals with 0-5% increases in BMI to possess COMT haplotypes [COMT Ex3-104C > T-COMT Ex4-76 C > G-COMT Ex4-12 A > G] that included the variant allele for COMT Ex4-76 C > G: C-G-G (T-C-A is referent: OR(C-G-G )= 1.33, 95% CI 1.01-1.77) and C-G-A (OR(C-G-A )= 1.79, 95% CI 0.72-4.49). We observed no association between any of the COMT polymorphisms with smoking behavior or alcohol intake. The COMT Ex4-76C > G (Leu136Leu) polymorphism appears to play a role in large increases in BMI. The null association with smoking and alcohol and the pronounced association with increasing BMI among women further implicates COMT's role in estrogen metabolism as a potentially culpable pathway. Our results support a need for comprehensive evaluation of COMT variations and their functional relevance as COMT may be an important molecular target to evaluate for new treatments regarding obesity.
22 citations