The vectorial orientation of human monoamine oxidase in the mitochondrial outer membrane.

1. The localization of monoamine oxidase in the mitochondrial outer membrane was studied in preparations of human liver mitochondrial and brain-cortex non-synaptosomal and synaptosomal mitochondria. 2. Immunochemical accessibility in iso-osmotic and hypo-osmotic mitochondrial preparations was used to localize the enzyme. 3. It was shown that the immunochemically accessible tyramine-oxidizing activity was distributed approximately equally on both surfaces of the membrane in human liver and brain-cortex non-synaptosomal mitochondria. However, the immunochemically accessible beta-phenethylamine-oxidizing activity was situated predominantly on the outer surface, and the immunochemically accessible 5-hydroxytryptamine-oxidizing activity was situated predominantly on the inner surface of the mitochondrial outer membrane in liver and brain-cortex non-synaptosomal mitochondrial preparations. 4. Considerable variation in the distribution of the enzyme in preparations of synaptosomal mitochondria was seen. 5. The simplest model consistent with our observations is that, in liver and brain-cortex non-synaptosomal mitochondria, the tyramine-oxidizing activity is distributed on both sides of the mitochondrial outer membrane, the beta-phenethylamine-oxidizing activity is located on the outer surface of the outer membrane and the 5-hydroxytryptamine-oxidizing activity is located on the inner surface of the mitochondria outer membrane.