Definition
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare autosomal recessive condition characterized by an inability to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine. The most common variation of PKU is associated with a mutation of the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene, located on chromosome 12q. Individuals with PKU have an absence of or significant deficiency in the PAH enzyme. Functional PAH is necessary for the metabolism of phenylalanine into tyrosine, a precursor for the neurotransmitter dopamine. Disruption of this metabolic process results in higher-than-normal levels of phenylalanine as well as decreased tyrosine levels. The excessive phenylalanine further competes with the available tyrosine and other large neutral amino acids (LNAAs) to cross the blood-brain barrier, ultimately resulting in decreased synthesis of dopamine and other neurotransmitters within the brain.
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Keywords
- Blood Phenylalanine Levels
- Guthrie Bacterial Inhibition Assay
- Tetrahydrobiopterin Deficiency
- Newborn Screening Protocol
- Sapropterin Treatment
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References and Reading
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National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Panel. (2001). National Institutes of Health consensus development conference statement: Phenylketonuria: Screening and management, October 16-18, 2000. Pediatrics, 108, 972–982.
Welsh, M. C., Pennington, B. F., Ozonoff, S., Rouse, B., & McCabe, E. R. R. (1990). Neuropsychology of early-treated phenylketonuria: Specific executive function deficits. Child Development, 61, 1697–1713.
Al Hafid, N., & Christodoulou, J. (2015). Phenylketonuria: A review of current and future directions. Translational Pediatrics, 4(4), 304–317.
Camo, K., Parisi, M., Acosta, P., Berry, G., Bilder, D., Blau, N., et al. (2014). Phenylketonuria scientific review conference: State of the science and future research needs. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism, 112(2), 87–122.
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Christ, S.E. (2018). Phenylketonuria. In: Kreutzer, J., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_1586-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_1586-2
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