Assignment of the human dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase gene (DPYD) to chromosome region 1p22 by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Abstract

Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD, EC 1.3.1.2) is the initial and rate-limiting enzyme in the three-step pathway of uracil and thymine catabolism leading to the formation of {beta}-alanine and {beta}-aminobutyric acid, respectively. Several studies have demonstrated the importance of DPD in cancer patients, particularly in those lacking or having only low levels of activity. Patients exhibiting severe toxicity when administered 5-fluorouracil were shown to have low DPD activity. Studies of affected families demonstrated that the deficiency was inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. DPD deficiency is one of several inherited disorders of pyrimidine metabolism, clinically termed thymine-uracil-uria. 14 refs., 1 fig.