articleScienceDec 21, 2006Closed access

Human Catechol- O -Methyltransferase Haplotypes Modulate Protein Expression by Altering mRNA Secondary Structure

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · National Institutes of Health · +3 more institutions

PubMed
Indexed incrossrefpubmed

Abstract

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is a key regulator of pain perception, cognitive function, and affective mood. Three common haplotypes of the human COMT gene, divergent in two synonymous and one nonsynonymous position, code for differences in COMT enzymatic activity and are associated with pain sensitivity. Haplotypes divergent in synonymous changes exhibited the largest difference in COMT enzymatic activity, due to a reduced amount of translated protein. The major COMT haplotypes varied with respect to messenger RNA local stem-loop structures, such that the most stable structure was associated with the lowest protein levels and enzymatic activity. Site-directed mutagenesis that eliminated the stable…

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