Biogenic amines (BAs) and amino acids (AAs) are essential components of
every living organism, being the precursors of vital compounds, such as hormones,
alkaloids, nucleic acids and proteins, among others. They are directly involved in many
metabolic processes, growth regulation, cellular transmission and diseases. A plethora
of biological substrates yet to be fully identified are the targets of BAs and AAs. The
Carbonic Anhydrases (CAs; EC 4.2.1.1) are listed among them. These metalloenzymes
are virtually expressed in every living organism, with eight genetically distinct families
described to date. CAs main biological function is represented by CO2
hydration
catalysis. Amino acids and amines are usually reported as efficient CA activators and
are thus potentially useful for therapeutic purposes in aging and neurodegenerative
diseases as well as tissue engineering. To date, polyamines are the only exception as
they were identified to act as CA inhibitors. Here, we will review the main
contributions in the field covering the effects of such crucial molecules on CAs
expressed in various organisms (mammals, fungi, protozoan, bacteria and archaea).
Synthetic analogues of amines and amino acids obtained from various drug design
approaches, will also be considered.
Keywords: Amino Acids, Biogenic amines, Bone mineralization, Carbonic anhydrase activators (CAAs), Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs), Drug design, Enhanced spatial learning, Pathogens CAs.
