2-Bromoethylamine, a suicide inhibitor of tissue-bound semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase

Various mammalian tissues contain plasma membrane-bound amine oxidase, term ed semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO). In the present study, 2-br omoethylamine has been studied with regard to inhibitory properties towards tissue-bound SSAO in rat lung. Without preincubation, 2-bromoethylamine wa s a competitive and reversible SSAO inhibitor with a K-i value of 2.5 mu M. After preincubation, it time-dependently and non-competitively inhibited S SAO activity, probably by forming the covalently-bound enzyme-inhibitor add uct. The data presented suggest that 2-bromoethylamine may act as a suicide inhibitor of SSAO.