Identification and characterization of putative methylation targets in the MAOA locus using bioinformatic approaches.

ABSTRACT: Monoamine oxidase A (MAO A) is an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of neurotransmitter amines. A functional polymorphism in the human MAOA gene (high- and low-MAOA) has been associated with distinct behavioral phenotypes. To investigate directly the biological mechanism whereby this polymorphism influences brain function, we recently measured the activity of the MAO A enzyme in healthy volunteers. When found no relationship between the individual's brain MAO A level and the MAOA genotype, we postulated that there are additional regulatory mechanisms that control the MAOA expression. Given that DNA methylation is linked to the regulation of gene expression, we hypothesized that epigenetic mechanisms factor into the MAOA expression. Our underplaying assumption was that the differences in

SUBMITTER: Shumay E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3169210 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature