Phosphate Group Is Key Regulator of Melatonin Metabolism

The presence of the added chemical group prevented enzymes that normally inactivate AANAT from removing the phosphate at position 31. The presence of the mimetic also improved the enzyme's ability to bind to a protein known as 14-3-3, further increasing the enzyme's stability and delaying its degradation. These findings were published October 26, 2003, in the online edition of Nature Structural Biology.

"We have discovered that addition and removal of the phosphate group at this position is the key step in regulating the enzyme's stability,” explained senior author Dr. Philip Cole, professor of pharmacology and molecular sciences at Johns Hopkins University. "When this phosphate group is present, the enzyme is stable.”




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