Mutations of the MTHFR gene (428C>T and [458G>T+459C>T]) markedly decrease MTHFR enzyme activity

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is the only route for the synthesis of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, which is utilized to convert homocysteine to methionine. In this study, we measured the enzyme activity of a mutant MTHFR that was detected in a patient with hyperhomocysteinemia. The 428C>T mutation in exon 2 of the MTHFR gene is a novel mutation, while the [458G>T+459C>T] mutation in exon 2 is a previously reported mutation. The activity of mutant enzymes containing the 428C>T, [458G>T+459C>T] and 677C>T mutations was 12.7+/-4.7%, 48.1+/-18.8%, and 43.6+/-14.4%, respectively, of that of the wild type enzyme. Our results suggest that these two variants each result in a severe MTHFR deficiency, which causes a developmental delay and cerebral vascular disease.