▁acid ▁ox id ase ▁( D AA O ; ▁also ▁O X DA , ▁D AM O X ) ▁is ▁an ▁en zym e ▁with ▁the ▁function ▁on ▁a ▁mole cular ▁level ▁to ▁ox id ize ▁D - am ino ▁ac ids ▁to ▁the ▁corresponding ▁im ino ▁ac ids , ▁producing ▁am mon ia ▁and ▁hydro gen ▁per ox ide . ▁This ▁results ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁phys i ological ▁effects ▁in ▁various ▁systems , ▁most ▁not ably ▁the ▁brain . ▁The ▁en zym e ▁is ▁most ▁active ▁toward ▁neutral ▁D - am ino ▁ac ids , ▁and ▁not ▁active ▁toward ▁acid ic ▁D - am ino ▁ac ids . ▁One ▁of ▁its ▁most ▁important ▁targets ▁in ▁m amm als ▁is ▁D - Ser ine ▁in ▁the ▁central ▁nerv ous ▁system . ▁By ▁target ing ▁this ▁and ▁other ▁D - am ino ▁ac ids ▁in ▁verte br ates , ▁D AA O ▁is ▁important ▁in ▁det ox ification . ▁The ▁role ▁in ▁micro organ isms ▁is ▁slightly ▁different , ▁breaking ▁down ▁D - am ino ▁ac ids ▁to ▁generate ▁energy . ▁ ▁D AA O ▁is ▁expressed ▁in ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁species ▁from ▁ye asts ▁to ▁human . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁present ▁in ▁plants ▁or ▁in ▁b acter ia ▁which ▁instead ▁use ▁D - am ino ▁acid ▁de h ydro gen ase . ▁D AA O ▁in ▁humans ▁is ▁a ▁candidate ▁sus cept ibility ▁gene ▁and ▁together ▁with ▁G 7 2 ▁may ▁play ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁gl ut am ater g