title: Genetic variation: impact on folate (and choline) bioefficacy.
abstract: Folate and choline are water-soluble micronutrients that serve as methyl donors in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. Inadequacy of these nutrients can disturb one-carbon metabolism as evidenced by alterations in circulating folate and/or plasma homocysteine. Among common genetic variants that reside in genes regulating folate absorptive and metabolic processes, homozygosity for the MTHFR 677C > T variant has consistently been shown to have robust effects on status markers. This paper will review the impact of genetic variants in folate-metabolizing genes on folate and choline bioefficacy. Nutrient-gene and gene-gene interactions will be considered along with the need to account for these genetic variants when updating dietary folate and choline recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences and Genomics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Allyson A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Marie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Caudill
mesh_terms: D001682:Biological Availability; D002794:Choline / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); D002794:Choline