Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:1.5.7.1 (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase)
 2,116 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Oxidation of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate to 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate was the rate-limiting step in 5-methyltetrahydrofolate metabolism by Lactobacillus casei. The limiting steps in the utilization of suboptimal levels of folate by L. casei were related to the ability of folates to function in purine and/or thymidylate biosynthesis. Folates with glutamate chains of up to at least seven residues were substrates for these biosynthetic enzymes, and comparisons of bacterial growth yields with transport rates for these folates indicated that the polyglutamates were more effective substrates in purine and thymidylate synthesis than the corresponding pteroylmonoglutamates. Lactobacillus casei contained low levels of a B12-independent, pteroylpolyglutamate-specific methionine synthetase. Its methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase also functioned more effectively with pteroylpolyglutamate substrates.
J Gen Microbiol 1977 Dec
PMID:Rate-limiting steps in folate metabolism by Lactobacillus casei. 41 75

A case of a folate-responsive psychosis that was associated with a defect in N5-10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (methylene reductase) suggested the need to examine whether abnormally low activity of this enzyme might be of etiological importance in schizophrenia. We now report that there were no statistically significant differences in the platelet methylene reductase activity of chronic schizophrenics, compared with either hospitalized or nonhospitalized age-matched control subjects. Although it is possible that a larger survey might reveal a subpopulation of schizophrenics who are characterized by abnormal methylene reductase activity, this study suggests that chronic schizophrenia is not generally associated with such changes.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1977 Jul
PMID:Platelet methylene reductase activity in schizophrenia. 87 76

The Salmonella typhimurium LT2 metF gene, encoding 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, has been cloned. Strains with multicopy plasmids carrying the metF gene overproduce the enzyme 44-fold. The nucleotide sequence of the metF gene was determined, and an open reading frame of 888 nucleotides was identified. The polypeptide deduced from the DNA sequence contains 296 amino acids and has a molecular weight of 33,135 daltons. Mung bean nuclease mapping experiments located the transcription start point and possible transcription termination region for the gene. There is a 25 bp nucleotide sequence between the translation termination site and the possible transcription termination region. This region possesses a GC-rich sequence that could form a stable stem and loop structure once transcribed (delta G = -9 kcal/mol), followed by an AT-rich sequence, both of which are characteristic of rho-independent transcription terminators. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the S. typhimurium metF gene are compared with the corresponding sequences of the Escherichia coli metF gene. The nucleotide sequences show 85% homology. Most of the nucleotide differences found do not alter the amino acid sequences, which show 95% homology. The results also show that a change has occurred in the metF region of the S. typhimurium chromosome as compared to the E. coli chromosome.
Mol Gen Genet 1988 May
PMID:Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the Salmonella typhimurium LT2 metF gene and its homology with the corresponding sequence of Escherichia coli. 284 68

A 27-year-old woman is described whose disorder meets the DSM-III-R criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia and who was found to have a significantly increased serum level of homocysteine. Repeatedly, she improved on frequent cobalamin injections and deteriorated in periods without treatment. The effects of prolonged weekly treatment appeared to diminish as time went on, suggesting that the abnormality was not wholly cobalamin-dependent. It was found that methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MR) activity in cultured skin fibroblasts was reduced to a magnitude that is found among people with heterozygous deficiency. A defect in MR activity indicates a deficiency in methyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF), with a consequent reduction of the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. Thus, reduced methylation may explain the increased levels of homocysteine and the transient effects of cobalamin treatment in the patient. Theoretically, MTHF should be the optimal treatment for her. The case reported highlights the importance of assessing the serum homocysteine level in order to detect methylation deficiency in patients with schizophrenia.
J Neural Transm Gen Sect 1994
PMID:Homocysteinemia and schizophrenia as a case of methylation deficiency. 773 11

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder where both gene-gene and gene-environment interactions play an important role, but the clues are still not fully understood. One carbon metabolism in the CNS plays a critical role in the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters which are relevant to depressive disorder. We studied genetic polymorphisms of the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) in association with major depressive disorder. We genotyped the BDNF G196A, the MTHFR C677T, and A1298C polymorphisms in 134 patients diagnosed with major depression and 143 control subjects in Slovak (Caucasian) cohort of patients and probands. We found no significant association of either the BDNF G196A or MTHFR C677T polymorphisms with major depressive disorder neither in female nor male group of patients. However, the MTHFR A1298C genotype distribution was 36.6% (for AA genotype), 48.5% (AC) and 14.9% (CC) for the depressed patients, and 48.9% (AA), 42.7% (AC) and 8.4% (CC), respectively, for the control subjects. Patients with MDD had a higher prevalence of the CC genotype (OR = 2.38; 95% CI = 1.07-5.32; p = 0.032) and the AC + CC genotype (OR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.03-2.69; p = 0.037) in comparison with the control subjects. This study shows that CC genotype of the MTHFR A1298C is associated with higher risk of MDD in Slovak population.
Gen Physiol Biophys 2012 Dec
PMID:Analysis of genetic polymorphisms of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase in depressed patients in a Slovak (Caucasian) population. 2325 68