Arginine:glycine amidinotransferase
Glycine amidinotransferase | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ExPASy NiceZyme view | | ||||||||
KEGG | KEGG entry | ||||||||
MetaCyc | metabolic pathway | ||||||||
PRIAM | profile | ||||||||
PDB structures | RCSB PDB PDBe PDBsum | ||||||||
Gene Ontology | AmiGO / QuickGO | ||||||||
|
L-Arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT;
Function
L-Arginine:glycine amidinotransferase catalyses the first, which is also the committed step in the formation of creatine. The second step of the process, producing the actual creatine molecule, occurs solely in the cytosol, where the second enzyme, S-adenosylmethionine:guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT), is found. The creatine is then transported through the bloodstream and taken up through sodium-dependent creatine transporters by cells that require creatine.[1]
Structure
The crystal structure of AGAT was determined by Humm, Fritsche, Steinbacher, and Huber of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany in 1997. X-ray examinations of the structure reveal a novel symmetry with fivefold pseudosymmetry of beta beta alphabeta modules. The overall structure of the molecule resembles a basket with handles. The active site lies at the bottom of a long, narrow channel and includes a Cys-His-Asp catalytic triad. The intermediate structure involves the amidino group temporarily covalently bonding to the Cys residue on the catalytic triad, while the His residue takes part in general acid/base catalysis, meaning it acts as a proton donator/receiver itself.[2]
Reaction
The actual reaction catalyzed by AGAT is the synthesis of guanidinoacetate from arginine and glycine, with ornithine as a
Regulation of expression and activity
The formation of guanidinoacetate is normally the rate-limiting step of creatine biosynthesis.
Sex hormones may regulate the activity of AGAT.[9] Treatment of male rats with testosterone propionate increases AGAT activity. In contrast, estrogen treatment decreases AGAT activity and induces weight loss. It is currently unclear whether the changes in the level of AGAT transcript results from altered mRNA stability or enhanced transcriptional rate. If estrogen-mediated alteration results from transcriptional regulation, the site of estrogen action is yet to be determined.[10]
GATM expression within the mouse placenta has been shown to be imprinted meaning only the maternal copy of GATM is expressed . Due to this it is thought that GATM acts as a growth suppressor within the placenta.
Clinical significance
Deficiency
In 2000, The American Journal of Human Genetics reported two female siblings, aged 4 and 6 years, with intellectual disability and severe creatine deficiency in the brain.[11] Arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) catalyzes the first step of creatine synthesis, resulting in the formation of guanidinoacetate, which is a substrate for creatine formation. In two female siblings with intellectual disability who had brain creatine deficiency that was reversible by means of oral creatine supplementation and had low urinary guanidinoacetate concentrations, Arginine:glycine amidinotransferase deficiency was identified as a new genetic defect in creatine metabolism. It is one of three cerebral creatine deficiencies.
Patients with brain creatine deficiency present nonspecific neurologic symptoms, including
AGAT deficiency is, along with GAMT and creatine transporter defect, one of three inborn errors of the creatine biosynthesis/transport pathway. The prevalence of these defects is unknown, however they have been observed to occur in high frequency in intellectually disabled children. The actual genetic mutation associated with AGAT involves a
Heart failure
Microarray analysis from one report shows a significant decrease in myocardial arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) gene expression during the late-stage heart failure. This suggests that the reduced AGAT may correlate with loss of heart function. Increase of AGAT expression in the myocardium after heart failure due to increase in creatine synthesis was associated with favorable outcome.[13]