Description
D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO; also OXDA, DAMOX) is an enzyme with the function on a molecular level to oxidize D-amino acids to the corresponding alpha-keto acids, producing ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. This gene encodes the peroxisomal enzyme D-amino acid oxidase. The enzyme is a flavoprotein which uses flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as its prosthetic group. Its substrates include a wide variety of D-amino acids, but it is inactive on the naturally occurring L-amino acids. Its biological function is not known; it may act as a detoxifying agent which removes D-amino acids that accumulate during aging. In mice, it degrades D-serine, a co-agonist of the NMDA receptor. This gene may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia