title: Arginine Deiminase Enzyme Evolving as a Potential Antitumor Agent.
abstract: Some melanomas and hepatocellular carcinomas have been shown to be auxotrophic for arginine. Arginine deiminase (ADI), an arginine degrading enzyme isolated from Mycoplasma, can inhibit the growth of these tumors. It is a catabolizing enzyme which catabolizes arginine to Citrulline. Tumor cells do not express an enzyme called arginosuccinate synthetase (ASS) and hence, these cells become auxotrophic for arginine. It is found that ADI is specific for arginine and did not degrade other amino acid. This review covers various aspects of ADIs like origin, properties and chemical modifications for better antitumor activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vivekanand Education Society's College of Pharmacy, Chembur (E), Mumbai - 400 074, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Rakesh Ravindra
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Somani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vivekanand Education Society's College of Pharmacy, Chembur (E), Mumbai - 400 074, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Pratip Kashinath
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Chaskar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006867:Hydrolases; C019723:arginine deiminase
keywords: Arginine; Arginine deiminase (ADI); Arginosuccinate lyase (ASL); Arginosuccinate synthetase (ASS); Hepatocellular
  carcinoma; malignant melanoma