Enzyme Regulating Human Emotion, Mood Uncovered

Japanese researchers have discovered that the enzyme called Rines regulates MAO-A, a major brain protein controlling emotion and mood.

Asian Scientist (Aug. 8, 2013) – A Japanese research team has discovered that the enzyme called Rines regulates MAO-A, a major brain protein controlling emotion and mood. This suggests that Rines may be a potential drug target for treating disorders associated with emotions.

MAO-A is an enzyme that breaks down serotonin, norephinephrine and dopamine, neurotransmitters well-known for their influence on emotion and mood.

It has also been nicknamed the “warrior gene” because a variant of MAOA, the gene encoding MAO-A, has been associated with increased risk of violent and anti-social behavior.

Although the role of MAO-A in controlling human emotion and mood is well established, researchers did not know how MAO-A levels in the brain are regulated.

In their study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute show that Rines, belonging to a class of enzymes known as ubiquitin ligases, regulates MAO-A levels in the brain.

They also found that mice without the Rines gene exhibit impaired stress responses and enhanced anxiety.

The findings present a promising new avenue for analyzing the role of MAO-A in brain function. Further research may provide insights into the treatment of anxiety, stress-related disorders and impaired social functions.

The article can be found at: Kabayama et al. (2013) Rines E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Regulates MAO-A Levels And Emotional Responses.

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Source: RIKEN; Photo: Ryan.Berry/Flickr/CC.
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