Abstract
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity towards serotonin has been assayed radiochemically in mitochondria isolated from Paracentrotus lividus eggs and embryos. Under the adopted experimental conditions, using both eggs and gastrulae, MAO activity reached a maximum at pH 8.9 and showed this sequence of sensitivity to selective inhibitors: deprenyl > pargyline > clorgyline. The highest levels of MAO activity were found in the unfertilized eggs. The cleavage stage and the hatching blastula stage showed similar activity levels but considerably lower than those reported for the eggs. Then, at the gastrula stage, MAO activity decreased markedly dropping to less than 30% with respect to the eggs. This research was undertaken in order to shed more light on factors governing serotonin metabolism during sea urchin early development.
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