GARS Antibody
Description
Product Specs
Product Science Overview
Glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GARS) is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in protein synthesis by charging tRNA molecules with their corresponding amino acids, specifically glycine. This enzyme is part of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase family, which is essential for translating genetic information into functional proteins. GARS is encoded by the GARS1 gene in humans .
GARS is a class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase that functions as an (alpha)2 dimer. It is responsible for ligating glycine to its corresponding tRNA (tRNA^Gly), a critical step in the translation process. This enzyme ensures that the genetic code is accurately translated into proteins by attaching the correct amino acid to its corresponding tRNA .
Mutations in the GARS1 gene have been implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 2D (CMT2D) and distal spinal muscular atrophy type V (dSMA-V). These diseases are characterized by the degeneration of peripheral motor and sensory axons, leading to muscle weakness and atrophy, particularly in the distal extremities .
Research has shown that mutations in GARS can lead to toxic gain-of-function effects, which interfere with the normal function of the enzyme. These mutations do not necessarily disrupt the overall aminoacylation activity but can cause ribosome stalling and activation of the integrated stress response. This results in translational repression, affecting both the elongation and initiation stages of protein synthesis .
Ongoing research is focused on understanding the precise mechanisms by which GARS mutations lead to disease and exploring potential therapeutic interventions. For example, studies have investigated the role of GARS in maintaining peripheral axons and its involvement in the integrated stress response .
