CAD is a 1.5 MDa particle formed by hexameric association of a 250 kDa protein divided into different enzymatic domains, each catalyzing one of the initial reactions for de novo biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides: glutaminasedependent Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase, Aspartate transcarbamoylase, and Dihydroorotase. The pathway for de novo pyrimidine synthesis is essential for cell proliferation and is conserved in all living organisms, but the covalent linkage of the first enzymatic activities into a multienzymatic CAD particle is unique to animals. In other organisms, these enzymatic activities are encoded as monofunctional proteins for which there is abundant structural and biochemical information. However, the knowledge about CAD is scarce and fragmented. Understanding CAD requires not only to determine the threedimensional structures and define the catalytic and regulatory mechanisms of the different enzymatic domains, but also to comprehend how these domains entangle and work in a coordinated and regulated manner. This review summarizes significant progress over the past 10 years toward the characterization of CAD's architecture, function, regulatory mechanisms, and cellular compartmentalization, as well as the recent finding of a new and rare neurometabolic disorder caused by defects in CAD activities.
K E Y W O R D Saspartate transcarbamoylase, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase, de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, dihydroorotase, multienzymatic protein, nucleotide metabolism, rare diseases
| INTRODUCTIONPyrimidine nucleotides are building blocks of DNA and RNA and key activators of intermediate metabolites in a number of cellular processes, including glycosylation and carbohydrate and phospholipid synthesis. 1,2 The cells obtain the supply of pyrimidines through two different metabolic pathways (Figure 1). Slowly dividing or differentiated cells use preferentially salvage pathways to uptake preformed nucleosides (e.g., uridine) from the diet or from the breakdown of nucleic acids, whereas, proliferating cells, whether normal (e.g., activated lymphocytes) or tumoral, depend on de novo ("of new") synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. The de novo pathway consists of six enzymatic steps yielding uridine 5-monophosphate (UMP), from which all other pyrimidine nucleotides are made (Figure 1). 3 In a first step, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPS; EC 6.3.5.5) makes