This gene encodes a membrane-associated enzyme located at a branch point in the mevalonate pathway. The encoded protein is the first specific enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis, catalyzing the dimerization of two molecules of farnesyl diphosphate in a two-step reaction to form squalene. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
Forensic Context
A study in rats demonstrated that farnesyl diphosphate farnesyl transferase 1 (Fdft1), a gene involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, exhibited significantly increased expression in liver tissue on day 4 following a 20% total body surface area burn injury [Jayaraman et al. DOI:10.1016/j.jss.2007.05.025]. A study in rats demonstrated that the FDFT1 was chronically decreased in expression following contusive spinal cord injury, as part of a broader downregulation in cholesterol metabolism genes [Aimone et al. DOI:10.1016/j.expneurol.2004.05.042].