Arylformamidase (AFMID)

Arylformamidase (AFMID) is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-formyl-L-kynurenine to L-kynurenine and formate, the second step in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan catabolism. This activity is essential for removing potentially toxic intermediates and for maintaining the production of important downstream metabolites, such as NAD(H) and NADP(H). AFMID has a prominent role in cellular signaling via kynurenine, which can drive proliferation in certain cancers by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Disruption of AFMID activity in animal models leads to metabolic imbalances with evidence for impaired insulin secretion, glucose intolerance, and kidney pathology depending on genetic context. AFMID has been proposed as a molecular marker in proliferation and drug-response studies, and may represent a future therapeutic target in oncology and metabolic disease.

Other names

Kynurenine formamidaseKFAKFaseFKFDKFZp686F03259KFN-formylkynurenine formamidaseformylaseformylkynureninaseformylkynurenine formamidaseformamidase Iformamidase II

Not established; no specific drugs are yet clinically indicated to target AFMID, but modulation would theoretically alter tryptophan to kynurenine metabolism, impacting downstream metabolic and signaling pathways