Detection of Hepatic Phenylalanine 4-Hydroxylase in Classical Phenylketonuria

An extract from a liver biopsy of a patient with classical phenylketonuria contains phenylalanine 4-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.3.1) with a specific activity 0.27% of the normal activity of the hydroxylase. This enzyme from a patient with phenylketonuria is a structurally altered form of phenylalanine 4-hydroxylase that probably results from a mutation in the gene coding for the hydroxylase.