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Science 12 July 1974:
Vol. 185. no. 4146, pp. 183 - 184
DOI: 10.1126/science.185.4146.183
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Articles

Brain Catechol Synthesis: Control by Brain Tyrosine Concentration

Richard J. Wurtman 1, F. Larin 1, S. Mostafapour 1, and J. D. Fernstrom 1

1 Laboratory of Neuroendocrine Regulation, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139

Brain catechol synthesis was estimated by measuring the rate at which brain dopa levels rose following decarboxylase inhibition. Dopa accumulation was accelerated by tyrosine administration, and decreased by treatments that lowered brain tyrosine concentrations (for example, intraperitoneal tryptophan, leucine, or parachlorophenylalanine). A low dose of phenylalanine elevated brain tyrosine without accelerating dopa synthesis. Our findings raise the possibility that nutritional and endocrine factors might influence brain catecholamine synthesis by controlling the availability of tyrosine.


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Tyrosine increases blood pressure in hypotensive rats.
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Brain acetylcholine: control by dietary choline.
E. Cohen and R. Wurtman (1976)
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