Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Targeted Next-generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics Pipeline to Evaluate Genetic Determinants of Constitutional Disease
Published on: April 4, 2018
N-acetyltransferase 2 (Nat2) polymorphism in the sand rat Psammomys obesus
Malika Khelil1, Bahia Djerdjouri, Bouchentouf Tayebi
1Département de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediène, BP: 32 El-Alia, 16111 Alger, Algérie. malika_khelil@yahoo.fr
Abstract:
Human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (NAT1) and its homologue in rodents (Nat2) are polymorphic xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and also seem to play a role in endogenous metabolism. NAT1 and Nat2 polymorphism was associated to cancers under xenobiotic procarcinogens metabolism as well as under endogenous substrate metabolism. This study investigated the p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) -Nat2 catalytic activity and its polymorphism in liver homogenates of adult sand rats Psammomys obesus Cretzschmar, 1828. These Saharian sand rats develop high incidence of spontaneous cancers under standard laboratory diet. The average value of PABA-Nat2 specific activity tested in nine sand rats was significant (2.96 ± 2.16 nmoles/min/mg). The N-acetylation exhibited a bimodal distribution. There was a significant difference (p<0.01) between PABA-Nat2 activity in the fast acetylators group (4.10 ± 1.67 nmol/min/mg) and slow acetylators group (0.7 ± 0.27 nmol/min/mg). The percentage of the fast acetylator group was 66.66%. These results support the presence of Nat2 polymorphism in the liver of the strain sand rats Psammomys obesus. This strain is useful for investigating the role of Nat2 polymorphisms in susceptibility to cancers related to arylamine carcinogen exposures as well as to endogenous substrate metabolism.
Related Concept Videos
Pharmacogenetics of Phase II Enzymes: N-acetyltransferase, Thiopurine S-methyltransferase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase
Phase II Reactions: Acetylation Reactions
The substrates for acetylation are typically drugs or their metabolites with an amino, sulfonamide, or hydrazine functional group. Acetylation can occur at several points in the drug molecule, including primary, secondary, and...
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
