Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) ( EC 2.1.1.6) is an enzyme first discovered by biochemist Julius Axelrod. COMT is the name given to the gene that codes for this enzyme.
Cytogenetic location: 22q11.21 Genomic coordinates (GRCh38): 22:19,941,771-19,969,974 (from NCBI) Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT; EC 2.1.1.6) is one of the major mammalian enzymes involved in the metabolic degradation of catecholamines (summary by Gogos et al., 1998 ).
Diagnosis Index entries containing back-references to E72.12: Deficiency, deficient methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase E72.12 (MTHFR) Disorder (of) - see also Disease metabolism NOS E88.9 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code E88.9. Metabolic disorder, unspecified 2016 2017 2018 2019 Billable/Specific Code
Further, individuals with the met/met catechol O-methyltransferase genotype appeared to be at increased risk for an adverse response to amphetamine. In COS-1 and HEK293 cells, Shield et al. (2004) transiently expressed wildtype and thr52 and met108 variants of COMT.
Summary. Catechol-O-methyltransferase catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to catecholamines, including the neurotransmitters dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. This O-methylation results in one of the major degradative pathways of the catecholamine transmitters.
The longer form, called membrane-bound catechol-O-methyltransferase (MB-COMT), is chiefly produced by nerve cells in the brain. Other tissues, including the liver, kidneys, and blood, produce a shorter form of the enzyme called soluble catechol-O-methyltransferase (S-COMT).
COMT is important to the degradation of several cathecholamines, but it is especially relevant to the metabolism of dopamine, as it is responsible for degrading more than 60% of PFC dopamine (Karoum et al., 1994). Thus, COMT polymorphisms allow investigation of interactions between dopaminergic and cognitive functions.
COMT was not detected in the plasma membranes, indicating that MB-COMT is localized in the intracellular membranes.
The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene plays a role in degrading dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, all three of which are neurotransmitters collectively known as the catecholamines (Winterer & Goldman 2003).
Either monoamine oxidase A (MAO) or catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) can catalyze the first step in catecholamine catabolism. MAO is located on the outer membranes of mitochondria and thus, in brain, is present primarily in nerve terminals and glia.
Catechol-O-methyl-transferaseCatechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) is an enzyme responsible for the degradation of catecholamines, such as dopamine and norepinephrine.
Catecholamines include adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine. They are physiologically important neurotransmitters, as part of the sympathetic and central nervous systems. Catecholamines act on both the alpha and beta adrenergic receptors.
COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) inhibitors are a class of drugs used along with carbidopa-levodopa therapy to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Carbidopa-levodopa therapy is the most effective drug available to treat the motor symptoms of PD.
The enzyme COMT regulates dopamine (DA) levels in the brain, and its activity depends on the COMT gene, located on chromosome 22q11. 2 (3). A functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs4680, codes the substitution of valine (Val) by methionine (Met) (3).
Catecholamines are hormones made by your adrenal glands, two small glands located above your kidneys. These hormones are released into the body in response to physical or emotional stress. The main types of catecholamines are dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.
Catechol-O-methyltransferase catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to catecholamines, including the neurotransmitters dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. This O-methylation results in one of the major degradative pathways of the catecholamine transmitters. In addition to its role in the metabolism of endogenous substances, COMT is important in the metabolism of catechol drugs used in the treatment of hypertension, asthma, and Parkinson disease. In blood COMT is found mainly in erythrocytes; in leukocytes it exhibits low activity. Weinshilboum and Raymond (1977) found bimodality for red cell catechol-O-methyltransferase activity. Of a randomly selected population, 23% had low activity. Segregation analysis of family data suggested that low activity is recessive. Scanlon et al. (1979) found that homozygotes have a thermolabile enzyme. Thus, the site of the low COMT mutation is presumably the structural locus. Levitt and Baron (1981) confirmed the bimodality of human erythrocyte COMT. They further showed thermolability of the enzyme in 'low COMT' samples, suggesting a structural alteration in the enzyme. Autosomal codominant inheritance of the gene coding for erythrocyte COMT activity was adduced by Floderus and Wetterberg (1981) and by Weinshilboum and Dunnette (1981). Gershon and Goldin (1981) concluded that codominant inheritance was consistent with the family data. Spielman and Weinshilboum (1981) suggested that the inheritance of red cell COMT is intermediate, or codominant, there being 3 phenotypes corresponding to the 3 genotypes in a 2-allele system. The COMT of persons with low enzyme activity is more thermolabile than that of persons with high activity.
In addition to its role in the metabolism of endogenous substances, COMT is important in the metabolism of catechol drugs used in the treatment of hypertension, asthma, and Parkinson disease. In blood COMT is found mainly in erythrocytes; in leukocytes it exhibits low activity.
The COMT gene is a strong candidate for schizophrenia susceptibility (see 181500 ), owing to the role of COMT in dopamine metabolism and the location of the gene within the deleted region in VCFS, a disorder associated with high rates of schizophrenia.
In addition to physical abnormalities, a variety of psychiatric illnesses have been reported in patients with VCFS, including schizophrenia ( 181500 ), bipolar disorder ( 125480 ), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Weinshilboum and Raymond (1977), Spielman and Weinshilboum (1981), and others demonstrated that the level of COMT enzyme activity is genetically polymorphic in human red blood cells (RBCs) and liver, with a trimodal distribution of low, intermediate, and high levels of activity.
Catechol- O -methyltransferase is involved in the inactivation of the catecholamine neurotransmitters ( dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine ). The enzyme introduces a methyl group to the catecholamine, which is donated by S-adenosyl methionine (SAM). Any compound having a catechol structure, like catecholestrogens and catechol-containing flavonoids, are substrates of COMT.
Catechol-O-methyltransferase ( COMT; EC 2.1.1.6) is one of several enzymes that degrade catecholamines (neurotransmitters such as dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine ), catecholestrogens, and various drugs and substances having a catechol structure. In humans, catechol- O -methyltransferase protein is encoded by the COMT gene.
COMT inhibitors. COMT inhibitors include entacapone, tolcapone, opicapone and nitecapone. All except nitecapone are used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Risk of liver toxicity and related digestive disorders restricts the use of tolcapone.
Catechol- O -methyl transferase is involved in the inactivation of the catecholamine neurotransmitters ( dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine ). The enzyme introduces a methyl group to the catecholamine, which is donated by S-adenosyl methionine (SAM). COMT is an intracellular enzyme located in the postsynaptic neuron.
COMT inhibitors are found in green tea. Drinking green tea is, therefore, thought to provide a useful short-term boost to antidepressant medication by increasing the half-life of extracellular norepinephrine and dopamine. Tea may also help reduce the risk of breast cancer. COMT inhibitors include tolcapone and entacapone .
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