B12 & Folic acid read

[Ritchie1268]

pnas.org/content/early/2020...

[fbirder]

Wow! Too much biology. Brain hurt!

From what I can understand it seems quite an interesting find. I'll try to summarise.

There's a receptor protein called AhR that does several things in the body. It's two main jobs are a) regulating how much protein is produced when a gene is switched on, and b) helping the body recognise and cope with foreign molecules - like drugs.

B12 and folate (the paper doesn't make clear if it's both together, or either one alone) can partially block this receptor.

Using mice they found that the drug TCDD (which increases the activity of that receptor) caused the symptoms of a B12/folate deficiency which were absent when the mice were treated with B12/folate, suggesting it was that receptor causing the problem.

Mice with a B12/folate deficiency also showed a higher activity of the receptor's actions.

If any biologists are out there - please feel free to rip this to shreds.

What's it all mean? Not a lot right now. The AhR receptor does an awful lot of things. This finding might mean something for our treatment (it may be that those who need a lot of B12 have a particular problem with that receptor) but it'll be many years of further studies to find out what.

[Ritchie1268 in reply to fbirder]

I was hoping you'd see it fbirder.

Even though I didn't have a clue what I was reading, I thought it would be interesting & someone could explain it in plain English 😁

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

Good find, Ritchie.

Interesting, especially in that 1 carbon status made no difference to results.