Functional effects of methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) expression in chronic liver disease

The polyamine metabolic pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic liver disease. Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) the rate-limiting enzyme in the methionine and adenine salvage pathway catalyzes the phosphorylation of 5'-deoxy-5'-(methylthio)adenosine (MTA), which is a by-product of polyamine synthesis. The aim of this study was to assess MTAP expression and function in chronic liver disease. Methods and Results: MTAP mRNA and protein were reduced in murine fibrosis models and in patients with chronic liver disease, which was accompanied by increased hepatic MTA levels as assessed by liq…