Arginine Decarboxylase (ADC)

ADC encodes a deduced 460-amino acid protein. Northern blot analysis detected highest expression of a 2.6-kb transcript in brain, with lower expression in heart, kidney, lung, skeletal muscle, and peripheral leukocytes. In brain, highest expression was detected in cerebellum, cerebral cortex, and putamen, and lower expression was detected in medulla and spinal cord.Several short ODC1L variants lack the C-terminal domain, including the residues involved in catalytic activity. The coding region of ODC1L shares 60% identity with that of ODC, with lower homology at the 5-prime and 3-prime ends, and 45% identity with that of antizyme inhibitor (OAZIN), with highest conservation in functionally important areas. The ODC1L variant-1 protein shares 54% and 45% amino acid identity with the ODC and OAZIN proteins, respectively.