Aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, cytoplasmic is an
enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''DARS''
gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
.
Aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (DARS) is part of a multienzyme complex of
aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases
An aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS or ARS), also called tRNA-ligase, is an enzyme that attaches the appropriate amino acid onto its corresponding tRNA. It does so by catalyzing the transesterification of a specific cognate amino acid or its pre ...
. Aspartyl-tRNA synthetase charges its cognate tRNA with aspartate during protein biosynthesis.
Clinical significance
Mutations in DARS have been identified as the cause of
leukoencephalopathy Leukoencephalopathy (leukodystrophy-like diseases) is a term that describes all of the brain white matter diseases, whether their molecular cause is known or unknown. It can refer specifically to any of these diseases:
* Progressive multifocal leuk ...
, hypomyelination with brain stem and spinal cord involvement and leg spasticity (HBSL).
See also
*
Aspartate-tRNA ligase
References
Further reading
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