OAZ1

Ornithine decarboxylase antizyme is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the OAZ1 gene.

Ornithine decarboxylase catalyzes the conversion of ornithine to putrescine in the first and apparently rate-limiting step in polyamine biosynthesis. The ornithine decarboxylase antizymes play a role in the regulation of polyamine synthesis by binding to and inhibiting ornithine decarboxylase. Antizyme expression is auto-regulated by polyamine-enhanced translational frameshifting. The antizyme encoded by this gene inhibits ornithine decarboxylase and accelerates its degradation.