Deamination



Deamination is the removal of an molecule.

In the human body, deamination takes place in the liver. It is the process by which amino acids are broken down. The amino group is removed from the amino acid and converted to urea cycle. Urea and uric acid can safely diffuse into the blood and then be excreted in urine.

Deamination reactions in DNA

Cytosine

Spontaneous deamination is the uracil) and methylated cytosine (unaltered).

In DNA, this spontaneous deamination is corrected for by the removal of uracil (product of cytosine deamination and not part of DNA) and replacement with thymine.

5-methylcytosine

Spontaneous deamination of 5-methylcytosine results in CpG sites in the eukaryotic genome.

Additional Proteins Performing This Function

  • APOBEC3G - affects HIV

Apolipoprotein B

 
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