From Proteopedia
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DOPA decarboxylase (Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase, tryptophan decarboxylase, 5-hydroxytryptophan decarboxylase, AAAD, or DDC) is an essential lyase enzyme responsible for the conversion (via decarboxylation) of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) and L-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) to dopamine and serotonin. This 104 kDa protein is a tightly associated α2-dimer that belongs to the aspartate aminotransferase family (fold type 1) of PLP-dependent (vitamin B6-dependent) enzymes, and can be found in abundance in the nervous system, as well as the kidney. Because of its role in the biosynthesis of dopamine, DDC has been utilized in the treatment of Parksinon's disease- a chronic, progressively neurological disorder, thought to be the result of degeneration of dopamine-producing cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta (brain structure in the mesencephalon that plays an important role in reward, addiction, and movement) of the brain.
Structure
