Monoclonal Anti-Tyrosine Hydroxylase (mouse IgG1 isotype) is derived from the TH-16 hybridoma produced by the fusion of mouse myeloma cells and splenocytes from immunized BALB/c mice. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) exists in four isoforms in humans. They are are TH-1 (M.W. 55,600), TH-2 (4 additional amino acids; M.W. 56,000), TH-3, (27 additional amino acids; M.W. 58,100), and TH-4 (4 plus 27 additional amino acids; 58,500). Only humans express all four isoforms; all other anthropoids express only the TH-1 and TH-2 isoforms.
Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) catalyzes the first rate limiting step in the biosynthesis of catecholamine neurotransmitter i.e. the conversion of L-tyrosine to L-dopa. Inhibition of TH by L-phenylalanine, might play a crucial role in phenylketonuria and block the synthesis of norepinephrine. Activity of TH can be regulated by phosphorylation. Decreased expression of TH is associated with various neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia and Parkinson′s disease (PD).
