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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Targeted Next-generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics Pipeline to Evaluate Genetic Determinants of Constitutional Disease
Published on: April 4, 2018
Molecular basis of Refsum disease: sequence variations in phytanoyl-CoA hydroxylase (PHYH) and the PTS2 receptor
Gerbert A Jansen1, Hans R Waterham, Ronald J A Wanders
1Laboratory of Genetic Metabolic Diseases, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Refsum disease has long been known to be an inherited disorder of lipid metabolism characterized by the accumulation of phytanic acid (3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecanoic acid) caused by an alpha-oxidation deficiency of this branched chain fatty acid in peroxisomes. The mechanism of phytanic acid alpha-oxidation and the enzymes involved had long remained mysterious, but they have been resolved in recent years. This has led to the resolution of the molecular basis of Refsum disease. Interestingly, Refsum disease is genetically heterogeneous; two genes, PHYH (also named PAHX) and PEX7, have been identified to cause Refsum disease, as reviewed in this work.
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