OTC gene

ornithine carbamoyltransferase

The OTC gene provides instructions for making the enzyme ornithine transcarbamylase. This enzyme participates in the urea cycle, a series of reactions that occurs in liver cells. The urea cycle processes excess nitrogen, generated when protein is used by the body, into a compound called urea that is excreted by the kidneys. Excreting the excess nitrogen prevents it from accumulating in the form of ammonia, which is toxic, especially to the nervous system.

The specific role of the ornithine transcarbamylase enzyme is to control the reaction in which two compounds, carbamoyl phosphate and ornithine, form a new compound called citrulline.