SNPs affect folate metabolism in study of Puerto-Rican adults
Researchers at Tufts University have gained further understanding of the genomic basis for altered folate metabolism and the content of uracil in blood DNA. In a study published in October's American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, senior author Jimmy Crott, PhD, and colleagues studied nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in five genes involved in folate uptake and retention: folate hydrolase (FOLH1), folate polyglutamate synthase (FPGS), γ-glutamyl hyrdolase (GGH), proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT), and reduced folate carrier (RFC1) in a cohort of 991 Puerto Rican adults residing in and around Boston. In addition, four SNPs in two genes involved in folate metabolism previously associated with altered blood folate and homocysteine concentrations were studied: methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and methionine synthase (MTR).