1 From the Centre for Human Genetics, MRC Genetics Group, and the Departments of Pediatrics, Biology, Medicine, and Physiology, McGill University, and the Réseau de Médecine Génétique du Québec and the Department of Pediatrics, Le Centre Hospitalier de l'Université Laval, Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada
An infant with vitamin B12-responsive methylmalonic aciduria and no homocystinuria or megaloblastic anemia presented with stomatitis, glossitis, convulsions, and developmental delay. Cultured fibroblasts showed defective incorporation of both [14C]5-methyltetrahydrofolate and [14C]propionate into protein by whole cells and a decrease of methionine synthase activity in cell extracts. Despite excessive incorporation of [57Co]cyano-B12 by fibroblasts from the patient, free vitamin B12 was unable to efflux from lysosomes, and, therefore, synthesis of both adenosyl-B12 and methyl-B12 was impaired.
Key Words: vitamin B12 cobalamin F methylmalonic aciduria
Submitted on July 2, 1985