Xenobiotic biotransforming enzymes in the central nervous system: an isoform of flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO4) is expressed in rabbit brain.

The flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO, EC 1.14.13.8) is involved in the metabolism of a number of important xenobiotics including many which affect the central nervous system (CNS). Recently, reports in the literature concerning the amount, activity, location, and isozyme characteristics of this enzyme in the brain have presented conflicting evidence. In order to resolve some of the controversy surrounding FMO in the brain, a highly sensitive method for the detection of flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) mRNA in whole brain was employed. A poorly conserved region of FMO transcripts was used to design five sets of oligonucleotide primers. Each primer set was specific for one of the five currently known isoforms of FMO. Four and five isoforms, respectively, are expressed in rabbit liver and kidney, as determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. However, only one set of primers amplified a specific rabbit brain cDNA fragment. The sequence of the amplification produced affirmed its identity as a segment of FMO4 cDNA. Thus, the FMO of rabbit brain may consist of a single, as yet uncharacterized isozyme and, contrary to several recent reports, is likely to be expressed at low levels.