Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase 1, Soluble (SHMT1)

SHMT1 encodes the cellular form of serine hydroxymethyltransferase, a pyridoxal phosphate-containing enzyme that catalyzes the reversible conversion of serine and tetrahydrofolate to glycine and 5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate. This reaction provides one carbon units for synthesis of methionine, thymidylate, and purines in the cytoplasm. This gene is located within the Smith-Magenis syndrome region on chromosome 17. Alternative splicing of this gene results in 2 transcript variants encoding 2 different isoforms. Serine hydroxymethyltransferase is an enzyme which plays an important role in cellular one-carbon pathways by catalyzing the reversible, simultaneous conversions of L-serine to glycine (retro-aldol cleavage) and 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate to 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (hydrolysis).