Ph.D. Summary A correlation between folate deficiency and neurotube defects in newborns is well established.
Obstetricians routinely recommend diets rich in folate for their pregnant patients.
However, the biochemical mechanisms by which folate metabolism influences neurotube defects is poorly understood. The independent work of two Emory investigators, Drs. Stevens and Merrill is helping to unravel this enigma. Their study of the effects of a common contaminant in food products such as the corn fungus, F. moniliform, links impaired sphingolipid metabolism with decreased folate uptake. Pregnant women who ingest corn products contaminated with the fungus F. moniliforme have an increased risk of delivering newborns with neurotube defects.