The chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, and pharmacology of biogenic amines, their amino acid precursors and metabolic products, and various synthetic derivatives have been investigated. The areas of specific interest are: 1) The immunohistochemical localization of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) in normal, hormonally modified, and malignant tissues. 2) Examination of COMT in uterine epithelial cells during pregnancy and peudopregnancy. 3) The incidence of elevated COMT levels in breast adenocarcinoma in women. 4) The temporal course of the increase of breast ductal epithelial COMT during lactation in rat and mouse. 5) The immunological localization of 2-hydroxyestradiol and COMT in the hypothalamus and other areas of rat brain. 6) Determination of the primary amino acid sequence of the 23,000 dalton form of rat liver COMT. 7) Purification of the mRNA for the 23,000 dalton form of rat liver COMT. 8) Preparation of a COMT-cDNA probe and selection of a COMT-clone. 9) Purification of the soluble form of COMT from human liver. 10) Examination of the chemical and biochemical properties of fluorocatechols, fluorocatechol amino acids, fluorodihydroxy phenylserines and their alpha-methyl analogs. 11) F-18 positron transaxial tomographic studies of the distribution of 6-18-FOPA and 6-18-F-alpha-methylDOPA and their metabolic products in the CNS of primates and man. 12) The distribution, uptake, metabolism and mechanism of toxicity of 2-fluoro-histidine. 13) Examination of the effect of ring-fluorination on the alpha-adrenergic properties of phenylephrine.
