Abstract
To add to the confusion about phenylketonuria (PKU), there is a new wrinkle. According to a report published in March of this year in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(75:1562), deficiency of the nonessential amino acid tyrosine may be just as responsible for the mental retardation in PKU as high levels of phenylalanine. A study by Samuel Bessman, MD, Malcolm Williamson, MD, and Richard Koch, MD, of the University of Southern California School of Medicine, attempted to correlate the mean IQ of siblings of known PKU children (67% of PKU siblings are heterozygous for PKU and 33% are normal, according to Mendelian predictions) with their ability to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine. Results showed a 10 point mean IQ difference between those siblings least able and those most able to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine. According to the investigators, since the mothers of PKU children are always heterozygous for
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
