Monoamine oxidase is the enzyme that metabolizes monoamines by oxidative deamination in the body. The generic name, “monoamine oxidase”, was given to the enzyme by Albert Zeller, in 1938, in order to differentiate within “amine oxidase” --shown to be present in 1937 in the liver by Blaschko, Richter and Schlosberg, and in the brain by Pugh and Quastel-- the enzyme that metabolizes monoamines from the enzyme that metabolizes diamines in the body. The enzyme is also referred to as “mitochondrial monoamine oxidase” because it is located intracellularly on the outer membrane of mitochondria.     

Blaschko H, Richter D, Schlossmann H. The oxidation of adrenaline and other amines. Biochemical Journal 1937; 31: 2187-96.

Pugh C, Quastel JH. Oxidation of aliphatic amines in brain and other tissues. Biochemcal Journal 1937; 31: 286-91. 

Zeller E.A. Über den enyzmatischen Abbau von Histamin und Diaminen. 2. Mitteilung. Helvetica Chimica Acta 1938; 21:880-90.

Joseph Knoll

May 22, 2014