From the Research
The PEMT gene plays a crucial role in liver phospholipid metabolism, and its dysregulation can lead to various diseases, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular diseases, as evident from the study published in 2023 1. The enzyme phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase, encoded by the PEMT gene, is responsible for approximately 30% of phosphatidylcholine production in the liver.
- The remainder of phosphatidylcholine production comes from dietary sources and the CDP-choline pathway.
- PEMT is particularly important during pregnancy and other conditions when choline demand increases.
- Genetic variations in the PEMT gene can affect enzyme activity and have been associated with increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, liver damage, and altered choline requirements. Some common variants like rs12325817 can reduce PEMT activity, potentially necessitating higher dietary choline intake, especially in women, as suggested by the study published in 2009 2.
- The gene is primarily expressed in the liver and is regulated by estrogen, which explains why premenopausal women typically have higher PEMT activity than men or postmenopausal women.
- Understanding one's PEMT genetic status may help inform personalized dietary choline requirements, particularly important for pregnant women, as adequate choline is essential for fetal development. The most recent study published in 2023 1 highlights the importance of PEMT in various organs and its role in the pathogenesis of obesity, liver diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and other conditions, making it a crucial gene to consider in the context of morbidity, mortality, and quality of life.
- The study also suggests that the dysregulation of PEMT can lead to imbalance of phospholipid metabolism, which can result in dysfunction of hepatocyte/cardiomyocyte.
- Furthermore, the study published in 2019 3 found that hepatic PEMT activity mediates liver health, weight gain, and insulin resistance, emphasizing the importance of PEMT in maintaining phospholipid balance and overall health.