Identification of an arylalkylamine <i>N</i>‐acyltransferase from <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> that catalyzes the formation of long‐chain <i>N</i>‐acylserotonins

Abstract

Arylalkylamine N-acyltransferase-like 2(2) (AANATL2) from Drosophila melanogaster was expressed and shown to catalyze the formation of long-chain N-acylserotonins and N-acydopamines. Subsequent identification of endogenous amounts of N-acylserotonins and colocalization of these fatty acid amides and AANATL2 transcripts gives supporting evidence that AANATL2 has a role in the biosynthetic formation of these important cell signalling lipids.