In vitro and in vivo studies of extrapineal N-acetyltransferase of rat brain.

In a series of experiments, extrapineal rat brain N-acetyltransferase was further characterized and was demonstrated to have a similar pH optimum and similar activity to that of the low activity daytime pineal N-acetyltransferase. Experiments in vivo indicate that N-acetylation may be a possible alternative metabolic pathway for biogenic amines and that brain N-acetyltransferase activity may be regulated by a beta-adrenergic mechanism.