Mdh1b is one of the genes related to malate dehydrogenase. Malate dehydrogenase plays key roles in metabolism, and Mdh1b is involved in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, an important hub of energy metabolism that networks one-carbon metabolism, fatty acyl metabolism, and glycolysis [1,2].

In cervical cancer, Mdh1b is part of a prognostic model constructed from seven TCA-cycle-associated genes. Patients were separated into high-and low-risk groups based on the risk score calculated from these genes, with the high-risk group having a worse prognosis and lower sensitivity to certain chemotherapy drugs [2].

In rheumatoid arthritis, baseline expression of Mdh1b in skeletal muscle was linked to improvements in disease activity following high-intensity interval training. Specifically, it was related to reduced oxidative metabolism via altered TCA cycle flux [3].

In a cross-tissue transcriptome-wide association study for erectile dysfunction, Mdh1b was identified as one of the candidate genes associated with the disease [4].

In a deep-sea Venus flytrap sea anemone, adaptive evolution in Mdh1b related to mitochondrial energy metabolism may help the organism cope with severe food scarcity in oligotrophic deep-sea environments [5].

In conclusion, Mdh1b is significantly associated with multiple biological processes and disease conditions. Its role in the TCA cycle and mitochondrial energy metabolism is crucial. Studies in different disease models such as cervical cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and erectile dysfunction, as well as in the adaptation of deep-sea organisms, have shown its importance in understanding disease mechanisms and biological adaptations.

References:

1. Haberman, Adam, Peterson, Celeste N. . Genetics of MDH in humans. In Essays in biochemistry, 68, 107-119. doi:10.1042/EBC20230078. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39037390/

2. Chen, Guanqiao, Hong, Xiaoshan, He, Wanshan, Lin, Yu, Luo, Xiping. 2023. The construction and analysis of tricarboxylic acid cycle related prognostic model for cervical cancer. In Frontiers in genetics, 14, 1092276. doi:10.3389/fgene.2023.1092276. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36968582/

3. Andonian, Brian J, Johannemann, Andrew, Hubal, Monica J, Bartlett, David B, Huffman, Kim M. 2021. Altered skeletal muscle metabolic pathways, age, systemic inflammation, and low cardiorespiratory fitness associate with improvements in disease activity following high-intensity interval training in persons with rheumatoid arthritis. In Arthritis research & therapy, 23, 187. doi:10.1186/s13075-021-02570-3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34246305/

4. Zhu, Tianle, Ma, Yukuai, Yang, Peng, Jiang, Hui, Zhang, Xiansheng. 2025. A cross-tissue transcriptome-wide association study reveals novel susceptibility genes for erectile dysfunction. In Andrology, , . doi:10.1111/andr.70034. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40145662/

5. Li, Junyuan, Zhan, Zifeng, Li, Yang, Zhou, Tong, Xu, Kuidong. 2024. Chromosome-level genome assembly of a deep-sea Venus flytrap sea anemone sheds light upon adaptations to an extremely oligotrophic environment. In Molecular ecology, 33, e17504. doi:10.1111/mec.17504. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39166453/