Intracellular distribution of monoamine oxidase A in selected regions of rat and monkey brain and spinal cord.

Monoamine oxidase A and B (MAO A and B; EC 1.4.3.4) are integral proteins of the outer mitochondrial membrane that degrade monoamines including the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. In this study, monoclonal antibodies that recognize rat or monkey MAO A were used in immunocytochemical studies to visualize the subcellular localization of this enzyme within neurons in the central nervous system of these species. The regions examined included the locus coeruleus, substantia nigra, spinal cord, and pallidostriatum, which are known to contain MAO A-positive structures. Ultrastructural studies revealed that most MAO A staining was associated with the outer membrane of mitochondria, within the cell bodies, dendrites, axons and terminals. However, some immunoreactive staining for MAO A was also observed in the rough endoplasmic reticulum in the cell bodies. Staining for mitochondrial MAO A in dendrites was observed in terminal fields of the monoamine system, including the spinal cord and the pallidostriatum. The intensity of staining also increased in the subsynaptic density. MAO A was also found associated with mitochondria in ependymal cells lining the fourth ventricle adjacent to the locus coeruleus and in the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels. Localization of MAO A in noradrenergic neurons, ependymal cells, and subsynaptic regions of dendrites in monoamine terminal fields supports the concept that this neurotransmitter-degrading enzyme may play a protective role in the central nervous system.