Type : Other, mainly phenotypes with suspected mendelian basis;
Alternative titles and symbols : Cmp-neu5ac hydroxylase; Cmp-neuac hydroxylase; Cmp-sialic acid hydroxylase; CSAH; CMAH;
Description : N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc), a sialic acid involved in cell-cell recognition
and cell-pathogen interactions, is abundantly expressed in most mammals but is not
detectable in humans. The expression of NeuGc is controlled by cytidine monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic
acid (CMP-NeuAc) hydroxylase activity, which in humans is inactivated by a deletion
in the CMAHP pseudogene that renders the enzyme nonfunctional (summary by Irie et
al., 1998).;