Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P06889 (Mol)
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Inborn errors resulting in isolated functional methionine synthase deficiency fall into two complementation groups, cblG and cblE. Using biochemical approaches we demonstrate that one cblG patient has greatly reduced levels of methionine synthase while in another, the enzyme is specifically impaired in the reductive activation cycle. The biochemical data suggested that low levels of methionine synthase activity in the first patient may result from mutations in the catalytic domains of the enzyme, reduced transcription, or generation of unstable message or protein. Using Northern analysis, we demonstrate that the molecular basis for the biochemical phenotype in this patient is associated with greatly diminished steady-state levels of methionine synthase mRNA. The biochemical data on the second patient cell line implicated mutations specific to reductive activation, a function that is housed in the C-terminal AdoMet-binding domain and the intermediate B12-binding domain, in the highly homologous bacterial enzyme. We have detected two mutations in a compound heterozygous state, one that results in conversion of a conserved proline (1173) to a leucine residue and the other a deletion of an isoleucine residue (881). The crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of the Escherichia coli MS predicts that the Pro to Leu mutation could disrupt activation since it is embedded in a sequence that makes direct contacts with the bound AdoMet. Deletion of isoleucine in the B12-binding domain would result in shortening of a beta-sheet. Our data provide the first evidence for mutations in the methionine synthase gene being culpable for the cblG phenotype. In addition, they suggest directly that mutations in methionine synthase can lead to elevated homocysteine, implicated both in neural tube defects and in cardiovascular diseases.
Hum Mol Genet 1996 Dec
PMID:Defects in human methionine synthase in cblG patients. 896 36

Alterations in homocysteine, methionine, folate, and/or B12 homeostasis have been associated with neural tube defects, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Methionine synthase, one of only two mammalian enzymes known to require vitamin B12 as a cofactor, lies at the intersection of these metabolic pathways. This enzyme catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate to homocysteine, generating tetrahydrofolate and methionine. Human patients with methionine synthase deficiency exhibit homocysteinemia, homocysteinuria, and hypomethioninemia. They suffer from megaloblastic anemia with or without some degree of neural dysfunction and mental retardation. To better study the pathophysiology of methionine synthase deficiency, we utilized gene-targeting technology to inactivate the methionine synthase gene in mice. On average, heterozygous knockout mice from an outbred background have slightly elevated plasma homocysteine and methionine compared to wild-type mice but seem to be otherwise indistinguishable. Homozygous knockout embryos survive through implantation but die soon thereafter. Nutritional supplementation during pregnancy was unable to rescue embryos that were completely deficient in methionine synthase. Whether any human patients with methionine synthase deficiency have a complete absence of enzyme activity is unclear. These results demonstrate the importance of this enzyme for early development in mice and suggest either that methionine synthase-deficient patients have residual methionine synthase activity or that humans have a compensatory mechanism that is absent in mice.
Mol Cell Biol 2001 Feb
PMID:Targeted disruption of the methionine synthase gene in mice. 1115 93

Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia is a metabolic derangement that is linked to the distribution of folate pools, which provide one-carbon units for biosynthesis of purines and thymidylate and for remethylation of homocysteine to form methionine. In humans, methionine synthase deficiency results in the accumulation of methyltetrahydrofolate at the expense of folate derivatives required for purine and thymidylate biosynthesis. Complete ablation of methionine synthase activity in mice results in embryonic lethality. Other mouse models for hyperhomocyst(e)inemia have normal or reduced levels of methyltetrahydrofolate and are not embryonic lethal, although they have decreased ratios of AdoMet/AdoHcy and impaired methylation. We have constructed a mouse model with a gene trap insertion in the Mtrr gene specifying methionine synthase reductase, an enzyme essential for the activity of methionine synthase. This model is a hypomorph, with reduced methionine synthase reductase activity, thus avoiding the lethality associated with the absence of methionine synthase activity. Mtrr(gt/gt) mice have increased plasma homocyst(e)ine, decreased plasma methionine, and increased tissue methyltetrahydrofolate. Unexpectedly, Mtrr(gt/gt) mice do not show decreases in the AdoMet/AdoHcy ratio in most tissues. The different metabolite profiles in the various genetic mouse models for hyperhomocyst(e)inemia may be useful in understanding biological effects of elevated homocyst(e)ine.
Mol Genet Metab 2007 May
PMID:Metabolic derangement of methionine and folate metabolism in mice deficient in methionine synthase reductase. 1736 66