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1: Biochim Biophys Acta. 1999 Oct 18;1472(1-2):408-11.Click here to read Links

Random nucleotide substitutions in primate nonfunctional gene for L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase, the missing enzyme in L-ascorbic acid biosynthesis.

Ohta Y, Nishikimi M.

Department of Biochemistry, Wakayama Medical College, Japan.

Humans and other primates have no functional gene for L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase that catalyzes the last step of L-ascorbic acid biosynthesis. The 164-nucleotide sequence of exon X of the gene was compared among human, chimpanzee, orangutan, and macaque, and it was found that nucleotide substitutions had occurred at random throughout the sequence with a single nucleotide deletion, indicating that the primate L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase genes are a typical example of pseudogene.

PMID: 10572964 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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