Function of MAO?

[Infectedstyle]

I'm cracking open my skull trying to get some kind of understanding on DMT and it's natural precursors. I think loads of them are affected by Monoamine Oxidases so i'm sure they are a key part in this quest for knowledge.

What i can't find on wikipedia and the likes is what is the MAO for exactly? I am not schooled in even basic biology. Everything i think i know is pretty much homeschooled and not confirmed.

It's my understanding that MAO breaks down a whole bunch of chemicals and amines in the body. Why is this? Are they lost forever? Does something survive?

Is this something like cleaning the body? Or are the Amines used up and 'eaten'. much like glucose is used up by the body. Can anyone chime in on this. I'd really appreciate it. :thumb_up:

 

[Global]

Since MAO is necessary to ingest certain foods (such as those on the contraindicated list), then perhaps part of its purpose is digestion. Also, one immediate thought that comes to mind is that without MAO there would be nothing to keep serotonin in check. In addition to hypertensive crises, and the like, emotions and mental states would be out of control, and consciousness itself could be something of a nightmare from a day to day basis.

 

[Infundibulum]

Simply put, MAO enzymes are there to neutralise a host of poisons normally present in our diet that would otherwise make us unwell or even kill us. Tyramine is one of the substances commonly found in our diets that is neutralised by MAO. DMT is another (this may be stretching it a bit..) "poison" that is neutralised by MAO enzymes.

Other than protection, normal turnover of other molecules is also another function of MAOs, like the breakdown of monoamines. The latter is a normal part of physiology; for every system in the body where there an active substance doing something, there is a mechanism to quench its action. Degradation of the active substance is one of such quenching strategies and MAO enzymes are involved in the degradation of active monoamines like serotonin and dopamine.

As to what happens to degraded enzymes, that varies. Most are excreted, but some can be used to make other stuff. The latter is unlike as terminally oxidised molecules such as the end-products of MAO enzymes, are (enzymatically and chemically speaking) energetically unfavourable to recycle.