cn [Search on AGR]
Drosophila melanogaster cinnabar (cn) encodes the enzyme that synthesizes 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) as part of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation. 3-HK is an intermediate product in the formation of ommochromes, the brown pigments in the fly eye, and thus cn loss of function mutant flies exhibit altered eye color. Several kynurenine pathway metabolites are neuroactive and have been linked to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders.
Upb1 [Search on AGR]
Homo sapiens This gene encodes a protein that belongs to the CN hydrolase family. Beta-ureidopropionase catalyzes the last step in the pyrimidine degradation pathway. The pyrimidine bases uracil and thymine are degraded via the consecutive action of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DHPDH), dihydropyrimidinase (DHP) and beta-ureidopropionase (UP) to beta-alanine and beta-aminoisobutyric acid, respectively. UP deficiencies are associated with N-carbamyl-beta-amino aciduria and may lead to abnormalities in neurological activity. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]