T. Oka et al., EFFECT OF VITAMIN-B-6 DEFICIENCY ON THE EXPRESSION OF GLYCOGEN-PHOSPHORYLASE MESSENGER-RNA IN RAT-LIVER AND SKELETAL-MUSCLE, Experientia, 50(2), 1994, pp. 127-129
The effect of vitamin B-6 deficiency on the expression of glycogen pho
sphorylase mRNA in rat liver and skeletal muscle was investigated. The
level of phosphorylase mRNA in the muscle of vitamin B-6-deficient ra
ts was reduced to 40% of that in the control rats. By contrast, the ph
osphorylase mRNA level was increased 5-fold in the liver of the defici
ent animals. It was also found that the expression of the beta-actin g
ene, generally regarded as a 'housekeeping' gene, was unaffected by B-
6 deficiency in the muscle but was enhanced in the liver of the defici
ent animals. These observations suggest that vitamin B-6 may modulate
the transcriptional activation of the phosphorylase gene in a tissue-s
pecific manner.