Phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) catalyzes the conversion of 3-phosphoglycerate to 3-phosphohydroxypyruvate, the first and rate-limiting step in the phosphorylated pathway of L-serine formation. PHGDH activity is particularly important in tissues with high metabolic demands, such as the brain, where serine acts as a neurotrophic factor and is crucial for proper neural development. Other than serine synthesis, PHGDH is a key regulator of one-carbon metabolism, vital for nucleotide synthesis, methylation reactions, and redox homeostasis. In cancer, upregulation of PHGDH is associated with increased cell proliferation, tumor growth, and resistance to metabolic stress. PHGDH dysregulation, usually a result of mutation, leads to a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a range of symptoms such as microcephaly, seizures, brain atrophy and psychomotor retardation. AkrivisBio’s Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase Activity Assay is a simple, sensitive way to measure PHGDH activity in a range of biological samples with a sensitivity below 100 µUnits per well.
