Summary
A sensitive radioenzymatic assay of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) in hair root cells is presented. Only five hair roots with intact bulb and sheath are needed for one assay. By pulling 15–20 hairs, 3–4 parallel assays can be performed. As in erythrocytes the COMT activity in hair root cells is constant for each individual. Nevertheless, there is no high correlation between the enzyme activities in erythrocyte and in hair root cells (r=0.26, 0.1> P>0.05, N=46).
The determination of COMT in hair root cells offers a further application of this source in genetic research, as in the study of a correlation between COMT activity and various endogenous psychiatric disorders.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bradford MM (1976) Rapid and sensitive method of quantitation of microgram quantity of protein utilizing the principle of protein dye binding. Anal Biochem 72:248–254
Francke U, Bakay B, Nyhan WL (1973) Detection of heterozygous carriers of the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome by electrophoresis of hair root lysates. J Pediatr 82:472–478
Goedde HW, Agarwal DP, Harada S (1980) Genetic studies on alcoholmetabolizing enzymes: Detection of isozymes in human hair roots. Enzyme 25:281–286
Grimm T, Wienber TF, Ropers HH (1976) Fabry's disease: Heterozygote detection by hair root analysis. Hum Genet 32:329–334
Keining E, Braun-Falco O (1969) Dermatologie und Venerologie, 2. Aufl. JF Lehmanns, München
King RA, Witkop CJ (1977) Detection of heterozygotes for tyrosinase-negative oculocutaneous albinism by hairbulb tyrosinase assay. Am J Hum Genet 29:164–168
Nwokoro N, Neufeld EF (1979) Detection of Hunter heterozygotes by enzymatic analysis of hair roots. Am J Hum Genet 31:42–49
Raymond FA, Weinshilboum RM (1975) Microassay of human erythrocyte catechol-O-methyltransferase: Removal of inhibitory calcium ion with chelating resin. Clin Chim Acta 58:185–194
Shulman R, Griffiths J, Dicmold P (1978) Catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in patients with depressive illness and anxiety states. Br J Psychiatry 132:133–138
Singh S, Willers I, Kluss EM, Goedde HW (1979) Monoamine oxidase and catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in cultured fibroblasts from patients with maple syrup urine disease, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome and healthy controls. Clin Genet 15:153–159
Quiran D, Weinshilboum R (1976) Catechol-O-methyltransferase in rat erythrocyte and three other tissues: Comparison of biochemical properties after removal of inhibiting calcium. J Neurochem 27: 1197–1203
Walker HA, Danielson E, Levitt M (1976) Catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in psychotic children. J Autism Child Schizo 6:263–268
Weinshilboum RM, Raymond FA, Elveback LR, Weidman WH (1974) Correlation of erythrocyte catechol-O-methyltransferase activity between siblings. Nature 252:490–491
Weinshilboum RM, Raymond FA (1977) Inheritance of low erythrocyte catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in man. Am J Hum Genet 29:125–135
Weinshilboum RM (1978) Human erythrocyte catechol-O-methyltransferase correlation with lung and kidney activity. Life Sci 22: 625–630
White HL, Mcleod MN, Davidson JRT (1976) Catechol-O-methyltransferase in red blood cells of schizophrenic, depressed and normal human subjects. Br J Psychiatry 128:184–187
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to Prof. H. Holzer on the occasion of his 60th birthday
Part of the thesis of T. Strohmeyer, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hamburg
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hoo, J.J., Strohmeyer, T., Beckermann, W.J. et al. A radioenzymatic assay of catechol-O-methyltransferase in hair root cells: Comparison with erythrocyte activity. Hum Genet 57, 169–171 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00282015
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00282015