Adenosine deaminase tRNA-specific 1 (ADAT1)

Adenosine deaminase tRNA-specific 1 is an enzyme found in eukaryotes, including humans (hADAT1), that specifically catalyzes the deamination of adenosine at position 37 to inosine in tRNA^Ala^[1][3][4]. This modification is highly specific: ADAT1 does not act on other positions or on other types of RNA substrates such as double-stranded RNA or pre-mRNA. The modification at position 37 may help maintain translational fidelity and potentially prevent frameshift errors during protein synthesis by ensuring correct tRNA structure and codon-anticodon interactions[1][3][4]. The enzyme is encoded by a single gene, expressed ubiquitously in human tissues, and shows significant evolutionary conservation with homologues in yeast and other organisms[1][3][4]. Disruption of the corresponding gene in yeast removes this specific tRNA modification but does not affect cell viability, demonstrating its specialized role in tRNA biology[4]. There are no well-established therapeutic or disease associations, nor are there currently known drugs that specifically target this enzyme.

Other names

tRNA-specific adenosine deaminase 1hADAT1 (human)Tad1p (yeast)scADAT1 (yeast)

Catalyzes deamination of adenosine to inosine at position 37 in tRNA, specifically in tRNA encoding alanine (tRNA^Ala^)