Adenosylhomocysteinase Like Protein 1 (AHCYL1)

By differential display and 5-prime RACE, Dekker et al. (2002) cloned AHCYL1, which they designated DCAL, from a cDNA library of a Hodgkin disease-derived cell line that is phenotypically similar to activated peripheral blood dendritic cells (DCs). The deduced 530-amino acid protein contains a hydrophilic domain, followed by a domain similar to the methylation pathway enzyme S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (AHCY), including a conserved NAD(+)-binding motif.

The human and mouse AHCYL1 proteins share 100% identity. Northern blot analysis of the Hodgkin disease cell line detected a transcript of about 4.4 kb. RT-PCR detected modest expression of AHCYL1 in fresh blood DCs, but not in any other peripheral blood mononuclear cells.