Background of the antigen
Members of the class-III pyridoxal-phosphate-dependent aminotransferase family, such as AGXT2, catalyze the conversion of glyoxylate to glycine using L-alanine as the amino donor. AGXT2 protects from asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA)-induced inhibition in nitric oxide (NO) production. Elevated blood concentrations of ADMA, a methyl derivate of the amino acid arginine and an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, is produced by the physiological degradation of methylated proteins and is found in association with diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure and atherosclerosis. AGXT2L2 (alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase 2-like 2) is a 450 amino acid pyridoxal phosphate that exists as a homotetramer. Belonging to the class-III pyridoxal-phosphate-dependent aminotransferase family, AGXT2L2 localizes to the mitochondria and exists as three alternatively spliced isoforms. Encoded by a gene located on human chromosome 5q35.3, AGXT2L2 may have similar functions as AGXT2.
