Polymorphism of drug-metabolizing enzymes: Gene structure and enzyme activity (a review)

Genetic factors are an important determinant of individual reactions to drug administration. One reason for this is the polymorphism of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. Studies of the genetically set metabolic patterns using molecular biology methods revealed alleles of corresponding enzyme genes that determine pronounced individual and ethnic differences in drug metabolism. The review summarizes the data on the structure of cytochrome P450, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, N-acetyltransferase, and thiopurine S-methyltransferase genes; discusses the mutations in these genes and their role in development of adverse reactions to drags, and considers the diagnostics for mutations impairing the enzyme activity.