AZIN1
Description
The AZIN1 (antizyme inhibitor 1) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 8.
Antizyme inhibitor 1 is a protein encoded by the AZIN1 gene in humans. It plays a key role in regulating polyamine synthesis by stabilizing ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). ODC is an enzyme that catalyzes the first step in polyamine biosynthesis, a process crucial for cell growth and development. Antizyme inhibitor 1 binds to ODC antizymes, which normally inhibit ODC, preventing their degradation and allowing ODC to function properly. Two different versions of the AZIN1 gene have been identified.
Antizyme inhibitor (AZI) protein positively regulates ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and polyamine uptake. AZI, an enzymatically inactive ODC homolog, counteracts the negative effect of ODC antizymes (AZs) OAZ1, OAZ2 and OAZ3 on ODC activity by competing with ODC for antizyme-binding. AZI inhibits antizyme-dependent ODC degradation and releases ODC monomers from their inactive complex with antizymes, leading to formation of the catalytically active ODC homodimer and restoring polyamine production.
AZIN1 is also known as AZI, AZI1, AZIA1, OAZI, OAZIN, ODC1L.
