AMNA

Arachidonoyl m-Nitroaniline (AmNA) is one of several nitroaniline fatty acid amides which can be used to measure fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) activity.¹ FAAH is a relatively unselective enzyme in that it accepts a variety of amide head groups other than the ethanolamine of its nominal endogenous substrate anandamide (arachidonyl ethanolamide; AEA). It also will hydrolyze fatty acid amides with fewer carbons and fewer double bonds than arachidonate (see also Decanoyl m-Nitroaniline; ). Exposure of AmNA to FAAH activity results in the release of the yellow colorimetric dye m-nitroaniline (ε = 13,500 at 410 nm). This offers the potential for fast and convenient measurements of FAAH activity using a 96 well plate spectrophotometer.

1. Patricelli, M.P., and Cravatt, B.F. Characterization and manipulation of the acyl chain selectivity of fatty acid amide hydrolase Biochemistry 40(20),6107-6115(2001).