Nucleotide precursors prevent folic acid-resistant neural tube defects in the mouse.

ABSTRACT: Closure of the neural tube during embryogenesis is a crucial step in development of the central nervous system. Failure of this process results in neural tube defects, including spina bifida and anencephaly, which are among the most common birth defects worldwide. Maternal use of folic acid supplements reduces risk of neural tube defects but a proportion of cases are not preventable. Folic acid is thought to act through folate one-carbon metabolism, which transfers one-carbon units for methylation reactions and nucleotide biosynthesis. Hence suboptimal performance of the intervening reactions could limit the efficacy of folic acid. We hypothesized that direct supplementation with nucleotides, downstream of folate metabolism, has the potential to support neural tube closure. Therefore, in a

SUBMITTER: Leung KY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3754462 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature