Aminocarboxymuconate Semialdehyde Decarboxylase (ACMSD)

The neuronal excitotoxin quinolinate is an intermediate in the de novo synthesis pathway of NAD from tryptophan, and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative disorders. Quinolinate is derived from alpha-amino-beta-carboxy-muconate-epsilon-semialdehyde. ACMSD can divert ACMS to a benign catabolite and thus prevent the accumulation of quinolinate from ACMS.The ACMSD gene encodes a predicted 336-amino acid protein with a molecular mass of 38 kD. ACMSD was predicted to be cytosolic. Database searches and library screening identified ACMSD homologs in rat, mouse, and C. elegans which share 85%, 85%, and 48% amino acid sequence identity, respectively, with the human protein. Real-time PCR showed ACMSD expression in kidney, liver, and at lower levels in brain.