AANAT
AANAT (aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase, also known as SNAT or serotonin N-acetyltransferase) is a cytoplasmic enzyme that controls the night/day rhythm of melatonin production in the pineal gland. It catalyses the N-acetylation of serotonin, the penultimate step in melatonin synthesis. Browse Assay Genie's current range of AANAT research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
AANAT catalyses the N-acetylation of serotonin to give N-acetylserotonin, the penultimate step in the synthesis of melatonin. In doing so it controls the night/day rhythm of melatonin production in the vertebrate pineal gland. Melatonin is essential for the function of the circadian clock, which influences activity and sleep, so the activity of this enzyme sits at a key control point between serotonin metabolism and circadian physiology.
The AANAT protein is regulated by cAMP-dependent phosphorylation. Phosphorylation promotes its interaction with the 14-3-3 family, which protects the enzyme against proteasomal degradation. This post-translational mechanism links intracellular cAMP signalling to the amount of active enzyme and, through it, to the timing of melatonin output. The enzyme is cytoplasmic and is classed in the acetyltransferase family, AANAT subfamily, within the HGNC group of GCN5 related N-acetyltransferases.
The human AANAT gene has mouse and rat orthologs, both named Aanat, which makes rodent models a common route for studying pineal melatonin biology. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been reported. The gene may contribute to numerous genetic diseases, including delayed sleep phase syndrome, a disorder of circadian timing.
Naming has varied over time: the approved name, aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase, was previously written arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, and the symbol SNAT is also used. Researchers studying circadian biology, serotonin and melatonin metabolism, or the regulation of enzyme stability by phosphorylation will often work with AANAT, whether at the level of the gene, transcript or enzyme.
AANAT controls the night/day rhythm of melatonin production, and melatonin is essential for the circadian clock that influences activity and sleep.
The enzyme performs the penultimate step of melatonin synthesis, converting serotonin to N-acetylserotonin in the pineal gland.
cAMP-dependent phosphorylation promotes 14-3-3 interaction, protecting AANAT against proteasomal degradation, a model for post-translational control.
The AANAT gene may contribute to genetic diseases such as delayed sleep phase syndrome, making it relevant to sleep phenotype studies.
AANAT catalyses the N-acetylation of serotonin into N-acetylserotonin, the penultimate step in melatonin synthesis. It controls the night/day rhythm of melatonin production in the pineal gland, and melatonin is essential for the circadian clock that influences activity and sleep.
AANAT is also called SNAT and serotonin N-acetyltransferase, and was previously named arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase. Its enzyme classification is EC 2.3.1.87. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for the gene.
Mouse and rat both have an ortholog named Aanat, and the enzyme controls melatonin rhythm in the vertebrate pineal gland. The human gene may contribute to genetic diseases such as delayed sleep phase syndrome; check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity.
Other melatonin pathway enzymes, melatonin receptors and circadian clock components that sit alongside AANAT in research.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt Q16613; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.