title: The pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase of Mycoplasma hyorhinis and how it may affect nucleoside-based therapy.
abstract: Mycoplasmas are opportunistic parasites and some species are suggested to preferentially colonize tumor tissue in cancer patients. We could demonstrate that the annotated thymidine phosphorylase (TP) gene in the genome of Mycoplasma hyorhinis encodes a pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase (PyNPHyor) that not only efficiently catalyzes thymidine but also uridine phosphorolysis. The kinetic characteristics of PyNPHyor-catalyzed nucleoside and nucleoside analogue (NA) phosphorolysis were determined. We demonstrated that the expression of such an enzyme in mycoplasma-infected cell cultures dramatically alters the activity of various anticancer/antiviral NAs such as 5-halogenated pyrimidine nucleosides, including 5-trifluorothymidine (TFT). Due to their close association with human cancers, the presence of mycoplasmas may markedly influence the therapeutic efficiency of nucleoside-based drugs.
authors.affiliation: a Rega Institute for Medical Research , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vande Voorde
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liekens
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gago
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balzarini
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D045790:Mycoplasma hyorhinis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology; D057845:Pyrimidine Phosphorylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014271:Trifluridine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D057845:Pyrimidine Phosphorylases; D014271:Trifluridine
keywords: Anticancer nucleosides; enzymology; mechanism of action studies