3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid

3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) is a metabolite of dopamine (Item No. 21992) formed through deamination by monoamine oxidase (MAO).{36669} DOPAC is further metabolized by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) to form homovanillic acid, and DOPAC levels are increased 5- to 6-fold compared to wild-type in the nucleus accumbens, striatum, and prefrontal cortex of COMT knockout mice. DOPAC oxidation is catalyzed by a-synuclein and oxidized DOPAC binds to monomeric a-synuclein preventing fibrillation.{36668} In vivo, foot shock stress increases DOPAC levels relative to control by approximately 45% in the prefrontal cortex and by 15% in the olfactory tubercles and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in rats.{36667}