Tryptophan hydroxylase
Encyclopedia
Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is an enzyme
involved in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin
. TPH catalyzes the following chemical reaction
It employs one cofactor
, iron
.
) to the 5 position to form the amino acid
5-hydroxytryptophan
(5-HTP), which is the initial and rate-limiting step in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin. It is also the first enzyme in the synthesis of melatonin.
Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH)
are members of a superfamily of aromatic amino acid hydroxylases, catalyzing key steps in important metabolic pathways. Analogously to phenylalanine hydroxylase
and tyrosine hydroxylase
, this enzyme uses (6R)-L-erythro-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin
(BH4) and dioxygen as cofactors.
In humans, the stimulation of serotonin production by administration of tryptophan has an antidepressant effect and inhibition of tryptophan hydroxylase (e.g. by p-Chlorophenylalanine) may precipitate depression.
The activity of tryptophan hydroxylase (i.e. the rate at which it converts L-tryptophan into the serotonin precursor L-5-hydroxytryptophan) can be increased when it undergoes phosphorylation
. Protein Kinase A, for example, can phosphorylate tryptophan hydroxylase, thus increasing its activity.
and TPH2
(sequence identity 71%).
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
involved in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin
Serotonin
Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...
. TPH catalyzes the following chemical reaction
- L-tryptophanTryptophanTryptophan is one of the 20 standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid in the human diet. It is encoded in the standard genetic code as the codon UGG...
+ tetrahydrobiopterinTetrahydrobiopterinTetrahydrobiopterin or sapropterin is a naturally occurring essential cofactor of the three aromatic amino acid hydroxylase enzymes, used in the degradation of amino acid phenylalanine and in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin , melatonin, dopamine, norepinephrine ,...
+ O2
5-Hydroxytryptophan5-Hydroxytryptophan5-Hydroxytryptophan , also known as oxitriptan , is a naturally occurring amino acid and chemical precursor as well as metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin from tryptophan....
+ 4a-hydroxytetrahydrobiopterin
It employs one cofactor
Cofactor (biochemistry)
A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound that is bound to a protein and is required for the protein's biological activity. These proteins are commonly enzymes, and cofactors can be considered "helper molecules" that assist in biochemical transformations....
, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
.
Function
It is responsible for addition of the -HO group (hydroxylationHydroxylation
Hydroxylation is a chemical process that introduces a hydroxyl group into an organic compound. In biochemistry, hydroxylation reactions are often facilitated by enzymes called hydroxylases. Hydroxylation is the first step in the oxidative degradation of organic compounds in air...
) to the 5 position to form the amino acid
Amino acid
Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen...
5-hydroxytryptophan
5-Hydroxytryptophan
5-Hydroxytryptophan , also known as oxitriptan , is a naturally occurring amino acid and chemical precursor as well as metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin from tryptophan....
(5-HTP), which is the initial and rate-limiting step in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin. It is also the first enzyme in the synthesis of melatonin.
Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH)
are members of a superfamily of aromatic amino acid hydroxylases, catalyzing key steps in important metabolic pathways. Analogously to phenylalanine hydroxylase
Phenylalanine hydroxylase
Phenylalanine hydroxylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydroxylation of the aromatic side-chain of phenylalanine to generate tyrosine. PheOH is one of three members of the pterin-dependent amino acid hydroxylases, a class of monooxygenase that uses tetrahydrobiopterin and a non-heme iron for...
and tyrosine hydroxylase
Tyrosine hydroxylase
Tyrosine hydroxylase or tyrosine 3-monooxygenase is the enzyme responsible for catalyzing the conversion of the amino acid L-tyrosine to dihydroxyphenylalanine . It does so using tetrahydrobiopterin as a coenzyme. DOPA is a precursor for dopamine, which, in turn, is a precursor for norepinephrine ...
, this enzyme uses (6R)-L-erythro-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin
Tetrahydrobiopterin
Tetrahydrobiopterin or sapropterin is a naturally occurring essential cofactor of the three aromatic amino acid hydroxylase enzymes, used in the degradation of amino acid phenylalanine and in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin , melatonin, dopamine, norepinephrine ,...
(BH4) and dioxygen as cofactors.
In humans, the stimulation of serotonin production by administration of tryptophan has an antidepressant effect and inhibition of tryptophan hydroxylase (e.g. by p-Chlorophenylalanine) may precipitate depression.
The activity of tryptophan hydroxylase (i.e. the rate at which it converts L-tryptophan into the serotonin precursor L-5-hydroxytryptophan) can be increased when it undergoes phosphorylation
Phosphorylation
Phosphorylation is the addition of a phosphate group to a protein or other organic molecule. Phosphorylation activates or deactivates many protein enzymes....
. Protein Kinase A, for example, can phosphorylate tryptophan hydroxylase, thus increasing its activity.
Isoforms
In humans, as well as in other mammals, there are two distinct TPH genes. In humans, these genes are located on chromosomes 11 and 12 and encode two different homologous enzymes TPH1TPH1
Tryptophan hydroxylase 1 , also known as TPH1, is an enzyme which in humans is encoded by the TPH1 gene.Until 2003 it was thought that there only was a single TPH gene, but then...
and TPH2
TPH2
The enzyme Tryptophan hydroxylase 2, also known as TPH2, is an isozyme of Tryptophan hydroxylase found in vertebrates. In humans TPH2 is primarily expressed in the serotonergic neurons of the brain, with the highest expression in the raphe nucleus of the midbrain...
(sequence identity 71%).
- TPH1 is mostly expressed in tissues that express serotonin (a neurotransmitter) in the periphery (skinSkin-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
, gutGut (zoology)In zoology, the gut, also known as the alimentary canal or alimentary tract, is a tube by which bilaterian animals transfer food to the digestion organs. In large bilaterians the gut generally also has an exit, the anus, by which the animal disposes of solid wastes...
, pineal glandPineal glandThe pineal gland is a small endocrine gland in the vertebrate brain. It produces the serotonin derivative melatonin, a hormone that affects the modulation of wake/sleep patterns and seasonal functions...
) but it is also expressed in the central nervous system. - On the other hand, TPH2 is exclusively expressed in neuronal cell types and is the predominant isoform in the central nervous systemCentral nervous systemThe central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
.