Abstract
Vitamin B-12 is a “cobalamin”, a term that describes structures with a corrin ring which has a central cobalt atom, phosphate, a base, and ribose. One of several groups can be attached to the cobalt: cyanide, forming vitamin B-12; 5’deoxyadenosine, forming 5’ deoxyadenosylcobalamin; or a methyl group, forming methylcobalamin. Methylcobalamin is a cofactor for the conversion of homocysteine to methionine, and adenosylcobalamin is required for the conversion of methyl malonyl CoA to succinyl CoA. These cofactor functions explain why in vitamin B-12 deficiency there is elevated methylmalonic acid (MMA) in urine and serum, and plasma homocysteine (Hcy).
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Allen, L.H. (2002). Impact of Vitamin B-12 Deficiency During Lactation on Maternal and Infant Health. In: Davis, M.K., Isaacs, C.E., Hanson, L.Å., Wright, A.L. (eds) Integrating Population Outcomes, Biological Mechanisms and Research Methods in the Study of Human Milk and Lactation. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 503. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0559-4_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0559-4_6
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