Aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase (
AANAT) , also known as
arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase or
serotonin N-acetyltransferase (SNAT), is an
enzyme that is involved in the
day/night rhythmic production of
melatonin, by modification of
serotonin. It is in humans encoded by the ~2.5 kb
AANAT gene containing four
exons, located on
chromosome 17q25. The gene is
translated into a 23 kDa large enzyme. It is well conserved through evolution and the human form of the protein is 80% identical to sheep and rat AANAT. It is an
acetyl-CoA-dependent enzyme of the GCN5-related family of
N-acetyltransferases (GNATs). It may contribute to multifactorial
genetic diseases such as
altered behavior in sleep/wake cycle and research is on-going with the aim of developing drugs that regulate AANAT function.