PNMT
Overview
PNMT (Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase) encodes the enzyme that converts norepinephrine to epinephrine, the final step in adrenergic synthesis. It is the defining marker of adrenergic (epinephrine-producing) chromaffin cells. In neuroblastoma, PNMT expression marks the adrenergic end-state of the normal chromaffin differentiation trajectory, which is enriched in favorable low-risk tumors.
Alterations observed in the corpus
- PNMT marks the adrenergic terminal state in the normal adrenal gland differentiation trajectory reconstructed by RNA velocity and pseudotime analyses: undifferentiated RTTN+ progenitors (hC1) transition through a noradrenergic DBH+ stage to a PNMT+ adrenergic chromaffin state (hC4). PNMT is part of the noradrenergic/adrenergic panel significantly over-expressed in NOR tumor clusters of neuroblastoma (FDR <0.01, Welch’s t-test). PMID:34493726
- Highest expression in the kinase signaling subtype of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PCC/PGL); encodes the enzyme converting norepinephrine to epinephrine, marking adrenergic tumor biochemistry PMID:28162975
Cancer types (linked)
- NBL — PNMT marks NOR/chromaffin clusters enriched in low-risk neuroblastoma and marks the adrenergic endpoint of normal adrenal differentiation; its expression is absent or low in undifferentiated nC3 high-risk tumor cells. PMID:34493726
Co-occurrence and mutual exclusivity
Therapeutic relevance
- PNMT expression marks a well-differentiated, favorable-prognosis state; no direct targeted therapy is reported in the corpus.
Open questions
- The upstream regulatory events controlling PNMT induction in the adrenergic differentiation trajectory and their disruption in high-risk neuroblastoma are not directly addressed. PMID:34493726
Sources
This page was processed by crosslinker on 2026-05-04. - PMID:28162975
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