title: A multisubstrate deoxyribonucleoside kinase from plants.
abstract: Deoxyribonucleoside kinases catalyze the rate limiting step during the salvage of deoxyribonucleosides and convert them into the corresponding monophosphate compounds. We have identified and characterized a unique multisubstrate deoxyribonucleoside kinase from plants. The phylogenetic relationship and biochemical properties suggest that this deoxyribonucleoside kinase represents a living fossil resembling the progenitor of the modern animal deoxycytidine, deoxyguanosine and thymidine 2 kinases. The broad substrate specificity makes this enzyme an interesting candidate to be evaluated as a suicide gene in anti-cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Organism Biology, Lund University, SE - 223 62 Lund, Sweden. anders.clausen@cob.lu.se
authors.forename: Anders Ranegaard
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Clausen
authors.forename: Lenart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Girandon
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Knecht
authors.forename: Sabeen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Survery
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andreasson
authors.forename: Birgitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Munch-Petersen
authors.forename: Jure
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piskur
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C020018:deoxyribonucleoside kinases