What are the genetic changes related to combined malonic and methylmalonic aciduria ?
Mutations in the ACSF3 gene cause CMAMMA. This gene provides instructions for making an enzyme that plays a role in the formation (synthesis) of fatty acids. Fatty acids are building blocks used to make fats (lipids). The ACSF3 enzyme performs a chemical reaction that converts malonic acid to malonyl-CoA, which is the first step of fatty acid synthesis in cellular structures called mitochondria. Based on this activity, the enzyme is classified as a malonyl-CoA synthetase. The ACSF3 enzyme also converts methylmalonic acid to methylmalonyl-CoA, making it a methylmalonyl-CoA synthetase as well.  The effects of ACSF3 gene mutations are unknown. Researchers suspect that the mutations lead to altered enzymes that have little or no function. Because the enzyme cannot convert malonic and methylmalonic acids, they build up in the body. Damage to organs and tissues caused by accumulation of these acids may be responsible for the signs and symptoms of CMAMMA, although the mechanisms are unclear.