No phenylketonuria in certain plants: PAH gene found to be present in plants as well as animals
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - 10:31
in Biology & Nature
Phenylketonuria is the most common metabolic disease in humans. It occurs when the so-called PAH gene is defective, thus preventing the amino acid phenylalanine from being metabolized to the amino acid tyrosine. This leads to an accumulation of phenylalanine and to severe developmental disorders. Researchers now report that the PAH gene is not only present in animals and humans, but also in algae, mosses, and coniferous trees.