Catecholamine synthesis

Catecholamine synthesis refers to the multi-enzyme, multi-step biochemical pathway that converts the amino acid phenylalanine (via tyrosine) into the catecholamine neurotransmitters and hormones dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine[1][2][3][5]. The process begins with phenylalanine hydroxylase converting phenylalanine to tyrosine, then tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) hydroxylates tyrosine to form L-DOPA (the rate-limiting step)[1][2][3][4]. L-DOPA is then decarboxylated by aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) to create dopamine, which is converted in vesicles by dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) to norepinephrine, and finally, norepinephrine is methylated by phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) to epinephrine[1][2][3][4][5][6]. Each enzyme can serve as a potential therapeutic target, but as a pathway, it is not a discrete molecule or receptor, and thus, "catecholamine synthesis" should not be designated as a canonical drug target.

Other names

Catecholamine biosynthesisCatecholamine pathwayCatecholamine metabolic pathway

Enzyme inhibition (e.g., TH inhibitors), Precursor supplementation (e.g., L-DOPA), Storage depletion (e.g., reserpine), Metabolism inhibition (MAOIs, COMTIs)