Monoamine oxidase activity in rat erythrocytes: evidence for its localization in reticulocyte mitrochondria.

During growth of young rats, monoamine oxidase activity in erythrocyte membrane preparations decreases more rapidly than reticulocyte concentrations in the respective blood samples. Since reticulocytes lose their mitochondria prior to the substantia reticulo-filamentosa, the non-linear correlation between monoamine oxidase activity and reticulocyte counts indicates that erythrocyte monoamine oxidase is located in reticulocyte mitochondria.