ENZYMATIC FORMATION OF TETRAHYDRO-β-CARBOLINE FROM TRYPTAMINE AND 5-METHYLTETRAHYDROFOLIC ACID IN RAT BRAIN FRACTIONS: REGIONAL AND SUBCELLULAR DISTRIBUTION

—In rat brain extract tryptamine is converted to 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline (THβJC) and N-methyltryptamine to 2-methyl-THβC in the presence of 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid. We believe this occurs through enzymatic conversion of 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid to formaldehyde and tetrahydrofolic acid, followed by spontaneous condensation of the radioactive formaldehyde with the substrate tryptamine (Donaldson & Keresztesy , 1961). The final products of the reactions have been identified by both thin layer chromatography and mass spectrophotometry. Subcellular fractionation shows more than 90 per cent of the formaldehyde-forming enzyme activity to be in the cytosol. Specific activities in fractions from 16 discrete regions of the brain and CNS range from 210·2 ± pmol of THβC/mg protein/h in corpus striatum to 62·9 ± 3·6 pmol of THβC/mg protein/h in corpus callosum.