Ornithine translocase deficiency is an inherited disorder that causes ammonia and other substances to build up (accumulate) in the blood. Ammonia, which is formed when proteins are broken down in the body, is toxic if the levels become too high. The nervous system is especially sensitive to the effects of excess ammonia.

Mutations in the SLC25A15 gene cause ornithine translocase deficiency. The SLC25A15 gene provides instructions for making a protein called mitochondrial ornithine transporter 1. This protein participates in the urea cycle, which is a sequence of biochemical reactions that occurs in liver cells. The urea cycle breaks down excess nitrogen, made when protein is broken down by the body, to make a compound called urea that is excreted by the kidneys in urine.

Ornithine translocase deficiency is a very rare disorder. More than 100 affected individuals have been described in the scientific literature.

This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition.

Published Date: August 01, 2019
Published By: National Institutes of Health