Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity as a determinant in human neurophysiology

Several lines of evidence indicate that monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity can regulate levels of biogenic amines and neuronal activity in the nervous system. The two types of MAO activity, A and B, appear to have different domains of activity in the body. Brain tissue has both types of activity, although adrenergic neurons are thought to contain exclusively MAO-A. MAO activity can also be measured in peripheral tissues: MAO-A in cultured skin fibroblasts and placenta, and MAO-B in platelets and lymphocytes. These two types of activity are mediated by different enzyme molecules and are regulated independently by endogenous and exogenous factors including genetic determinants, hormones, and aging. In humans, inhibition of MAO-A activity leads to mood elevation in depressed patients; in contrast, low MAO-B activity in platelets has been associated with an increased susceptibility to psychopathology. In order to assess further the role of MAO activity in human mood and behavior, it will be important to measure both forms of the enzyme independently and to establish correlations between levels of activity and discrete phenotypic traits.