• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.214-218
• /
• 2007

In the previous reports, we developed the CO5 by introducing genes for the first and second urea cycle enzymes, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I (CPS I) and ornithine transcarbamoylase (OTC) into the IBE cell lines producing erythropoietin (EPO). The CO5 have been found out to have 15-20% higher cell growth rate and produce 2-times more EPO than the parental cell line, IBE. To investigate the role of CPS I in CO5 cell line for the cell growth and amount of EPO, we knock-downed CPS I gene expression via siRNA treatment. Expression level of EPO in cell lysate of CO5 was 3-5 fold higher than that of IBE. After siRNA treatment, the cell growth of CO5 was decreased 8-21% and the EPO productivity in the cell Iysate was significantly decreased. However, these changes of the cell growth and EPO productivity were not observed in IBE. These results indicate that CPS I gene expression is important for the increased cell growth and EPO productivity of CO5 cell line.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.32-37
• /
• 2003

Ornithine transcarbamylase(OTC) deficiency is the most common of all the urea cycle disorders. In this X-linked disorder, the hemizygote males are more severely affected than heterozygote females. The Heterozygote female may have mild episodic hyperammonemia symptoms in late infancy or childhood(late onset) or no clinical manifestations. Here we report a 6 year-old girl with late onset OTC deficiency who showed recurrent episodic lethargy, mental confusion and ataxia. On mutation analysis using DNA sequencing after PCR amplification of the 10 exons of OTC gene, G to T transversion in codon 221, causing substitution of asparagine for lysine was detected in exon 6.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.76-87
• /
• 2005

Various disorders cause hyperammonemia during childhood. Amongthem are those caused by inherited defects in urea synthesis and related metabolic pathways. These disorders can be grouped into two types: disorders of the enzymes that comprise the urea cycle, and disorders of the transporters or metabolites of theamino acids related to the urea cycle. Principal clinical features of these disorders are caused by elevated levels of blood ammonium. Additional disease-specific symptoms are related to the particular metabolic defect. These specific clinical manifestations are often due to an excess or lack of specific amino acids. Treatment of urea cycle disorders and related metabolic diseases consists of nutritional restriction of proteins, administration of specific amino acids, and use of alternative pathways for discarding excess nitrogen. Although combinations of these treatments are extensively employed, the prognosis of severe cases remains unsatisfactory. Liver transplantation is one alternative for which a better prognosis is reported.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.54 no.10
• /
• pp.425-428
• /
• 2011

Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency is well known as the most common inherited disorder of the urea cycle, and 1 of the most common causes of hyperammonemia in newborns. We experienced a case of a 3-day-old boy with OTC deficiency who appeared healthy in the first 2 days of life but developed lethargy and seizure soon afterwards. His serum ammonia level was measured as > $1,700{\mu}g/dL$ (range, 0 to $45{\mu}g/dL$). Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in the mode of continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration was immediately applied to correct the raised ammonia level. No seizure occurred after the elevated ammonia level was reduced. Therefore, CRRT should be included as 1 of the treatment modalities for newborns with inborn errors of metabolism, especially hyperammonemia. Here, we report 1 case of successful treatment of hyperammonemia by CRRT in a neonate with OTC deficiency.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.238-245
• /
• 2015

A non-protein amino acid, L-ornithine (Orn), has been shown to stimulate the urea cycle and tissue protein synthesis in the liver. The purpose of the current study was to assess whether Orn affects the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway, which is involved in protein synthesis. Primary cultured cells isolated from Wistar rat liver were incubated in an amino acid-free medium, followed by addition of Orn for 3 h. The cell lysate was subjected to immunoblotting to evaluate the phosphorylation of downstream targets of mTORC1, including p70S6K, S6, and 4EBP1. To assess the involvement of mTORC1 for the effect of Orn, the cells were pretreated with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin before the addition of Orn and the cell lysate was subjected to immunoblotting. We next examined whether the effects of Orn were exerted in vivo. Orn was orally administered to 18 h food-deprived rats, the blood and the livers were collected at 1 and 3 h after administration for immunoblotting. Orn treatment for primary cultured cells for 3 h enhanced the phosphorylation of p70S6K, S6, and 4EBP1. In addition, rapamycin blocked the effects of Orn completely (p70S6K and S6) or partially (4EBP1). The oral administration of Orn to the rat also augmented the phosphorylation of mTORC1 downstream targets notably in S6 at 1 h. Our findings demonstrate that Orn has the potential to induce the phosphorylation of downstream targets of mTORC1 in the rat liver. This may be mediated by the augmentation of mTORC1 activity.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.5-10
• /
• 1997

The amino acids formed by degradation of proteins ingested produce ammonia. The ammonia which is broken down and excreted as urea through a process known as the Klebs-Hensleit cycle or the urea cycle (Rezvani, 1995). The urea cycle consists of five enzymes necessary for the synthesis of carbamyl phosphate, citrulline, argininosuccinate, arginine, and urea: carbamyl phosphate synthetase (CPS), ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC), argininosuccinate synthetase (AS), argininosuccinate lyase (AL), and arginase (ARG) (Lloyd, 1992). Congenital deficiencies of the enzymes involved in the urea cycle are diseases that are almost fatal without treatment, showing symptoms like vomiting, lethargy, dyspnea, and coma due to hyperammonemia coming from the accumulation of ammonia and metabolic precursors resulting from the deficiency of one of these enzymes (Batshaw and Brusilow, 1983). Among these, the disease manifested by the congenital deficiency of argininosuccinate synthetase (AS) which is associated with the formation of argininosuccinate in citrulline is called argininosuccinate synthetase deficiency or citrullinemia. There have been two reports on this so far in Korea; one in July 1987 by Kim et al. and the other by Park et al. in 1995. We are to report a case of successful treatment of a child with citrullinemia who was transferred to our hospital due to dyspnea, lethargy, feeding difficulties, convulsions and cyanosis together with some document studies related to this case.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2003.10b
• /
• pp.170.3-171
• /
• 2003

An efficient Erythropoietin (EPO)-expression system in mammalian cells is required for massive production for therapeutic use. Ammonium ion is a major problem in the production of valuable recombinant proteins in cultured animal cells. Therefore, it is of importance to devise a system by which a high productivity of human therapeutic recombinant protein can be maintained or enhanced under low ammonium concentration. To reduce the ammonium ion accumulated in EPO producing Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) ceels, IBE, we introduced the first two genes of the urea cycle, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPSI) and arnithine transcarbamoylase (OTC), into IBE using a stable transfection method. (omitted)

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.55-61
• /
• 2018

Orinithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency is the most common inborn error of the urea cycle with resulting hyperammonemia, which is medical emergency in newborns.We recently had a case of a boy that presented with lethargy, seizure, hyperammonemia and hypocalcemia in neonatal period. He was diagnosed with OTC deficiency by two consequent ways which are initial biochemical phenotype including hyperammonemia and an increased orotic acid in his urine and genetic analysis of the OTC gene. The OTC gene showed a novel hemizygous mutation c.913C>T (p.Pro305Ser). He was treated by low protein intake, sodium benzoate, phenylbutyrate sodium, L-arginine, and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). After discharge, he has a relatively good prognosis without notable developmental delay. For good prognosis, the duration of hyperammonemia should be shorten. And it can be reached by an early diagnosis. For early detection of OTC deficiency, targeted exome sequencing will be a important role as well as biochemical tests.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.165-170
• /
• 2015

Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency is a rare X-linked genetic disorder of urea synthesis in newborns. It is the most common urea cycle disorder and leads to elevated levels of ammonia in the blood. Excessive ammonia can cause various symptoms, including vomiting, lethargy, and coma. Boys have a more serious form of OTC deficiency than girls. If not treated immediately, severe OTC deficiency can lead to neurologic abnormalities, hyperammonemic coma, and death. Because late-onset OTC deficiency, which is more common in girls, presents mild symptoms, it is easy to miss diagnosis and prompt treatment. We describe an 11-month-old girl who presented periodic vomiting, intermittent lethargy, and seizure. She was diagnosed with OTC deficiency by elevated serum ammonia and urine orotic acid levels. Genetic analysis of the OTC gene revealed a missense mutation in exon 5 (c.418G>C). We reported an experience of exact diagnosis and successful treatment of late-onset OTC deficiency in our patient.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.409-413
• /
• 2004

We have studied quality changes of fully ripe fruit of Korean native pumpkin 'Yangsan' regarding the following parameters: pH, sugar content, weight, water content, contents of crude protein and amino acids during 60 days storage at room temperature. As the results, there was no changes in sugar contents according to the storage period, but pH was changing to a little acidic direction with slight decrease in weight and water content. Contents of total crude proteins and comprising amino acids were increased during the storage period. The main contents of amino acids of the Korean native pumpkin, Yangsan, were glutamic acid (15.5%), aspartic acid (10.1%), lysine (8.7%), valine (7.5%), leucine (7.1%) and alanine (6.6%), which were not highly influenced during storage period. Additionally we have investigated the content of free amino acids and color changes during processing of Yangsan under high temperature at $121^{\circ}C$ and high pressure at $1\;kg/cm^2$. In fully ripe fruits, a total of 29 kinds of free amino acids were detected including 8 kinds of essential amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, methionine, threonine and valine). More than 35% of total free amino acids were aspartic acid (20.3%) and asparagine (15.4%); ornithine, citrullin, and arginine, which are related to Ornithine cycle, were also detected in fully ripe fruits. But when treated with high temperature and high pressure, glutamic acid and arginine were decreased rapidly whereas ammnonium chloride was relatively increased. Moreover "b" value as yellow color indicator was decreased from 17.45 to 9.14 while treated for 60 minutes with high temperature and pressure, caused by the degradation of ${\beta}-carotene$ and other yellowish pigments in Yangsan.