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Inherited Disorders of Cobalamin and Folate Absorption and Metabolism

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Inborn Metabolic Diseases

Abstract

Cobalamin (Cbl, vitamin B12) is a widely distributed, cobalt-containing, water-soluble vitamin that is not found in higher plants. Cb1 is needed for only two reactions in man, but its metabolism involves a complex absorption and transport system and intricate intracellular conversions. As methylcobalamin (MeCbl). it is a cofactor for the cytoplasmic enzyme methionine synthase, which synthesizes the essential amino acid methionine from homocysteine and thereby recycles the crucial folate derivative tetrahydrofolate (THF). As 5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl), it is the cofactor for the mitochondrial enzyme methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, which is involved in the catabolism of valine, threonine, and odd-chain fatty acids into succinyl-CoA, an intermediate of the Krebs cycle.

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© 1995 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Rosenblatt, D.S., Shevell, M.I. (1995). Inherited Disorders of Cobalamin and Folate Absorption and Metabolism. In: Fernandes, J., Saudubray, JM., Van den Berghe, G., Tada, K., Buist, N.R.M. (eds) Inborn Metabolic Diseases. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03147-6_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03147-6_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-03149-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-03147-6

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