Aspartylglycosaminuria (AGU) are ingeboren an error of metabolism which is caused by inadequate activity of the enzyme aspartylglucosaminidase. It occurs as a result of deficient activity of a particular enzyme, leading to the accumulation of metabolic products in the body.
Aspartylglycosaminuria mutations occur in the gene for glycosylasparaginase, the enzyme necessary for hydrolysis of the protein oligosaccharide linkage in Asn-linked glycoprotein substrates undergoing metabolic turnover. Major symptoms may include coarse facial features, spine and eye deformities, behavior problems and mental retardation. Without this enzyme, used materials cannot be completely broken down and remain stored in the body, causing progressive damage to cells. Babies may show little sign of the disease, but as more and more cells become damaged, symptoms start to appear.
Aspartylglycosaminuria are ingeboren an error of metabolism, and one of the lysosomal rise sickness. It becomes clearly after the zuigeling a couple is months old. It is a member of finnish disease heritage, a group of diseases or syndromes caused by mutation in a single gene characterized by higher frequency in Finland than the rest of the world. If an adult carrying the abnormal gene has a partner who also is a carrier, there will be a one in four chance with every pregnancy that the child will inherit the defective gene from each parent and will suffer from the disease. There is a two in three chance that unaffected brothers and sisters of aspartylglycosaminuria sufferers will be carriers. Deficiency of the aspartylglucosaminidase, an enzyme which cleaves the N-acetyl-glucosamine-asparagine linkage of oligosaccharide chains in glycoprotein and glycopeptide metabolism.
Aspartylglycosaminuria has some similarities with the diseases of MPS and thus with the children and the affected adults. All families of affected children should seek further information from their doctor or from a genetic counsellor before planning to have more children. If you already have a child with aspartylglycosaminuria it is possible to have tests during a subsequent pregnancy to find out whether the baby you are carrying in affected. The patients notably suffer from decreased cognitive abilities, skeletal abnormalities and facial grotesqueness. The progress of the disease is slower than in many other lysosomal storage diseases. The patients appear normal during infancy and generally live from 25 to 45 years. At present there is no cure of Aspartylglycosaminuria, but there is a great deal of research activity and it is hoped that a way will be found to treat patients in the future.
