GCAT explained

Glycine C-acetyltransferase is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GCAT gene.^[1]

Function

The degradation of L-threonine to glycine consists of a two-step biochemical pathway involving the enzymes L-threonine dehydrogenase and 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate coenzyme A ligase. L-Threonine is first converted into 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate by L-threonine dehydrogenase. This gene encodes the second enzyme in this pathway, which then catalyzes the reaction between 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate and coenzyme A to form glycine and acetyl-CoA. The encoded enzyme is considered a class II pyridoxal-phosphate-dependent aminotransferase. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants. A pseudogene of this gene is found on chromosome 14.

Further reading

• Jacquot C, Lanco X, Carbonnelle D, Sevestre O, Tomasoni C, Briad G, Juget M, Roussis V, Roussakis C . Effect of four genes (ALDH1, NRF1, JAM and KBL) on proliferation arrest in a non-small cell bronchopulmonary cancer line . Anticancer Research . 22 . 4 . 2229–35 . 2002 . 12174908 .
• Tressel T, Thompson R, Zieske LR, Menendez MI, Davis L . Interaction between L-threonine dehydrogenase and aminoacetone synthetase and mechanism of aminoacetone production . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 261 . 35 . 16428–37 . Dec 1986 . 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)66584-6 . 3536927 . free .
• Edgar AJ, Polak JM . Molecular cloning of the human and murine 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate coenzyme A ligase cDNAs . European Journal of Biochemistry . 267 . 6 . 1805–12 . Mar 2000 . 10712613 . 10.1046/j.1432-1327.2000.01175.x.
• Hashizume O, Ohnishi S, Mito T, Shimizu A, Ishikawa K, Nakada K, Soda M, Mano H, Togayachi S, Miyoshi H, Okita K, Hayashi J . Epigenetic regulation of the nuclear-coded GCAT and SHMT2 genes confers human age-associated mitochondrial respiration defects . Scientific Reports . 5 . 10434 . 2015 . 10434 . 10.1038/srep10434. 26000717 . 5377050 . 2015NatSR...510434H .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Entrez Gene: Glycine C-acetyltransferase .