biology

Trace amine

Trace amine is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Trace amine rather than just read about it. In short: Trace amines are an endogenous group of trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonists – and hence, monoaminergic neuromodulators – that are structurally and metabolically related to classical monoamine neurotransmitters. Compared to the classical monoamines, they are present in trace concentrations.

Key takeaways

Trace amine belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Trace amine to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Trace amine from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Trace amines are an endogenous group of trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) agonists – and hence, monoaminergic neuromodulators – that are structurally and metabolically related to classical monoamine neurotransmitters. Compared to the classical monoamines, they are present in trace concentrations. They are distributed heterogeneously throughout the mammalian brain and peripheral nervous tissues and exhibit high rates of metabolism. Although they can be synthesized within parent monoamine neurotransmitter systems, there is evidence that suggests that some of them may comprise their own independent neurotransmitter systems. Trace amines play significant roles in regulating the quantity of monoamine neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft of monoamine neurons with co-localized TAAR1. They have well-characterized presynaptic amphetamine-like effects on these monoamine neurons via TAAR1 activation; specifically, by activating TAAR1 in neurons they promote the release and prevent reuptake of monoamine neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft as well as inhibit neuronal firing. Phenethylamine and amphetamine possess analogous pharmacodynamics in human dopamine neurons, as both compounds induce efflux from vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) and activate TAAR1 with comparable efficacy. Like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, the trace amines have been implicated in a vast array of human disorders of affect and cognition, such as ADHD, depression, and schizophrenia, among others. Trace aminergic hypo-function is particularly relevant to ADHD, since urinary and plasma phenethylamine concentrations are significantly lower in individuals with ADHD relative to controls and the two most commonly prescribed drugs for ADHD, amphetamine and methylphenidate, increase phenethylamine biosynthesis in treatment-responsive individuals with ADHD. A systematic review of ADHD biomarkers also indicated that urinary phenethylamine levels could be a diagnostic biomarker for ADHD.

List of trace amines

The human trace amines include:

Phenethylamines (related to catecholamines): Phenethylamine (PEA) N-Methylphenethylamine (endogenous amphetamine isomer) Phenylethanolamine m-Tyramine p-Tyramine 3-Methoxytyramine N-Methyltyramine m-Octopamine p-Octopamine Synephrine Thyronamine compounds: 3-Iodothyronamine Tryptamine

While not trace amines themselves, the classical monoamines norepinephrine, serotonin, and histamine are all partial agonists at the human TAAR1 receptor; dopamine is a high-affinity agonist at human TAAR1. N-Methyltryptamine (NMT) and dimethyltryptamine (DMT) are endogenous amines in humans, however, their human TAAR1 binding has not been determined as of 2015.

Concentrations Trace amines are so-named because they are present in the nervous system at trace or very low concentrations. These concentrations are much lower than for classical monoamine neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. However, the rapid metabolic turnover of trace amines, consequent to strong susceptibility to monoamine oxidases, is suggestive that they may be present as chemical synapses at much higher concentrations than predicted by steady-state measures.

History A thorough review of trace amine-associated receptors that discusses the historical evolution of this research particularly well is that of Grandy.

See also Neurotransmitter Monoamine neurotransmitter Trace amine-associated receptor (TAAR)

Notes

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Trace amine

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Trace amine claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Trace amine before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Trace amine ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Trace amine

In research: Trace amine appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Trace amine in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Trace amine is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Amines, Amphetamine, Neurotransmitters, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Trace amine outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Trace amine in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Trace amine means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Trace amine out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Trace amine in simple terms?

Why does Trace amine matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Trace amine?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Trace amine.