Thymidine Kinase Diversity in Bacteria

Thymidine kinases (TKs) appear to be almost ubiquitous and are found in nearly all prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and several viruses. They are the key enzymes in thymidine salvage and activation of several anti-cancer and antiviral drugs. We show that bacterial TKs can be subdivided into 2 groups. The TKs from Gram-positive bacteria are more closely related to the eukaryotic TK1 enzymes than are TKs from Gram-negative bacteria.     

胸苷激酶同功酶与肿瘤基因治疗

重点介绍了各种胸苷激酶（ＴＫ）同工酶的差异及其与癌症和细胞周期的关系,并介绍了最近利用ｔｋ基因进行肿瘤基因治疗研究的进展。     

Transgene Expression of Drosophila melanogaster Nucleoside Kinase Reverses Mitochondrial Thymidine Kinase 2 Deficiency

A strategy to reverse the symptoms of thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) deficiency in a mouse model was investigated. The nucleoside kinase from Drosophila melanogaster (Dm-dNK) was expressed in TK2-deficient mice that have been shown to present with a severe phenotype caused by mitochondrial DNA depletion. The Dm-dNK^+/− transgenic mice were shown to be able to rescue the TK2-deficient mice. The Dm-dNK^+/−TK2^−/− mice were normal as judged by growth and behavior during the observation time of 6 months. The Dm-dNK-expressing mice showed a substantial increase in thymidine-phosphorylating activity in investigated tissues. The Dm-dNK expression also resulted in highly elevated dTTP pools. The dTTP pool alterations did not cause specific mitochondrial DNA mutations or deletions when 6-month-old mice were analyzed. The mitochondrial DNA was also detected at normal levels. In conclusion, the Dm-dNK^+/−TK2^−/− mouse model illustrates how dTMP synthesized in the cell nucleus can compensate for loss of intramitochondrial dTMP synthesis in differentiated tissue. The data presented open new possibilities to treat the severe symptoms of TK2 deficiency.     

EB病毒胸苷激酶基因的定向克隆

采用异硫氰酸胍（ＧｕＳＣＮ）和硅藻从Ｂ９５－８细胞中快速抽摸板ＤＮＡ。根据ＥＢ病毒（ＥＢＶ）Ｂ９５－８株ＤＮＡ全序列及编码ＥＢＶ胸苷激酶（ＴＫ）的开放读框ＢＸＬＦ１的结构,设计合成一对引物,并在引物的５′一端分别引入ＥｃｏＲＩ和ＰｓｔＩ切点,用ＰＣＲ技术扩增出一含完整的ＥＢＶＴＫ基因的１．８４３ＫｂＤＮＡ片段,ＮｃｏＩ酶切分析鉴定,ＥｃｏＲＩ／ＰｓｔＩ双酶切ＰＣＲ产物和载体,使目的基因定向克隆至选     

Origin of Thymidine Kinase in Adenovirus-Infected Human Cell Lines

Human adenovirus type 5 enhances the thymidine kinase activity of KB cells but does not induce the enzyme in kinase-deficient HeLa (BU25) cells. Vaccinia induces thymidine kinase activity in both KB and HeLa (BU25) cells. Human adenovirus types 2, 4, 7, and 12 also fail to induce the enzyme in HeLa (BU25) cells. Vaccinia replicates equally well in the presence or absence of HATG (hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine-glycine) in KB and HeLa (BU25) cells. Adenovirus type 5 replicates in KB and in HeLa (BU25) cells in the absence of HATG, and adenovirus type 5 replicates in kinase-positive KB cells in the presence of HATG. However, replication of adenovirus type 5 is grossly inhibited in HeLa (BU25) cells in the presence of HATG. These results suggest that human adenoviruses do not code for a new virus-specific thymidine kinase.     

Transfer of Thymidine Kinase to Thymidine Kinaseless L Cells by Infection with Ultraviolet-Irradiated Herpes Simplex Virus

L cells lacking thymidine kinase (TK) activity (Ltk(-) cells) have been stably transformed to a TK-positive phenotype by infection with ultraviolet-irradiated herpes simplex virus (HSV-UV). The highest frequency of the Ltk(-) to Ltk(+) transformation observed in these experiments was approximately 10(-3), whereas no measurable transformation was observed (less than 10(-8)) in the absence of HSV-UV infection. Cell lines of HSV-transformed Ltk(+) cell lines contain 7 to 24 times as much TK activity as do the parental Ltk(-) cells, and they have been maintained in culture for a period exceeding 8 months. The kinetics of thermal inactivation of the TK activity derived from an Ltk(+) HSV-transformed cell line and the TK activity from Ltk(-) cells lytically infected with infectious HSV are similar. Both of these TK activities are much more thermolabile than the TK activity present in wild-type L cells. A mutant strain of HSV which does not induce TK activity during lytic infection does not cause the Ltk(-) to Ltk(+) transformation. These data suggest that either an HSV TK gene has been transferred to Ltk(-) cells or that an HSV gene product has caused the expression of a previously repressed cellular enzyme.     

Affinity Chromatography of Thymidine Kinase from a Rat Colon Adenocarcinoma

Thymidine kinase from a transplantable colon adenocarcinoma, induced by 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine and maintained in CDF rats, was purified by affinity chromatography using thymidine-3′(4-amino-phenylphosphate) coupled to carboxyhexyl-Sepharose. Most of the contaminating protein passed through the column; non-specifically adsorbed protein was washed from the column by 0.1 M KC1 in 0.01 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.5. Thymidine kinase was eluted with 0.1 mM thymidine, 0.1 M KC1 in 0.01 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.5. The purified enzyme accounted for about 267. of the applied activity, the specific activity of the purified material (peak fraction) was 3, 500 nmoles TMP formed per mg protein per 10 min., a 1, 800-fold purification of the applied extract. The preparation is free of nucleoside phosphotransferase, but contains other protein impurities. Purification was completed in less than 1 hour, making this a useful procedure for isolation of this unstable enzyme.     

A Rapid Two-Step Purification of Rat Liver Fetal Thymidine Kinase

The fetal isoenzyme of thymidine kinase was purified to apparent homogeneity from cytosols of rat fetuses liver. A two-step purification including anion exchange chromatography and affinity chromatography was developed. The purified enzyme appears as oligomeric with a relative molecular weight of 71 kDa. In denaturing media its molecular weight was 24 kDa, and its pHi 8.3.     

斑马鱼TK1基因的克隆表达

目的:克隆斑马鱼TK1基因的cDNA序列,并在大肠杆菌中诱导表达,对其产物进行生物学活性鉴定。方法:采用RT-PCR和RACE方法,克隆TK1的cDNA全长序列。表达载体在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中进行诱导表达。表达蛋白利用镍离子柱纯化。结果:获得TK1基因的cDNA全长序列,编码一个分子量为26kD的蛋白。结论:TK1融合蛋白在28℃条件表现出比较高的生物学活性,达到0.45 U/mg。     

Tomato Thymidine Kinase Is Subject to Inefficient TTP Feedback Regulation

A promising suicide gene therapy system to treat gliomas has been reported: the thymidine kinase 1 from tomato (toTK1) combined with the nucleoside analog pro-drug zidovudine (azidothymidine, AZT), which is known to penetrate the blood–brain barrier. Transduction with toTK1 has been found to efficiently increase the sensitivity of human glioblastoma cells to AZT, and nude rats with intracranial glioblastoma grafts have shown significantly improved survival when treated with the toTK1/AZT system. We show in our paper that the strong suicidal effect of AZT together with toTK1 may be explained by reduced TTP-mediated feedback inhibition of the AZT phosphorylation.     

Thymidine Kinase Activity Is Reduced in the Developing Staggerer Cerebellum

Abstract: In the mouse cerebellar mutant staggerer , thymidine kinase levels do not increase developmentally at ages when the wild-type level is high. Mixing experiments show that this effect is not due to an endogenous inhibitor of the enzyme. Both the K ^m and the susceptibility of the thymidine kinase to nucleotide inhibitors are unaltered in the mutant animals, suggesting that the enzyme is not induced in the mutant.     

Thymidine Kinase 1(TK1)重组蛋白的表达、纯化及鉴定

为获得具有免疫原性的TK1重组蛋白。通过构建能够表达TK1蛋白的重组菌BL21-pET32a-TK1,采用大肠杆菌pET32a表达系统,优化IPTG浓度、诱导温度、诱导时间使BL21-pET32a-TK1重组菌表达目的蛋白的作用条件最佳。表达产物用镍离子亲和层析纯化获得TK1蛋白,并用SDS-PAGE和Western blot进行检测。用TK1重组蛋白免疫BALB/c小鼠制备单克隆抗体,检测蛋白质免疫原性。实验结果表明,成功构建能够表达TK1蛋白的重组菌BL21-pET32aTK1,在37℃条件下,IPTG浓度为0.2mmol/L、诱导6h时重组蛋白TK1表达量最高。镍离子亲和层析梯度洗脱在80mmol/L咪唑条件下TK1蛋白纯度最大,灰度分析为87.3%,浓缩后蛋白质浓度为5.96mg/ml。用该蛋白质制备杂交瘤共获得10株稳定分泌TK1抗体的阳性单克隆细胞株,表明TK1重组蛋白具有较好的免疫原性。成功获得可溶性、抗原活性高、免疫原性强的TK1重组蛋白,为肿瘤科学及临床应用研究提供物质支撑。     

Human Thymidine Kinase Can Functionally Replace Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Thymidine Kinase for Viral Replication in Mouse Sensory Ganglia and Reactivation from Latency upon Explant

Herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase exhibits a strikingly broad substrate specificity. It is capable of phosphorylating deoxythymidine and deoxyuridine as does human thymidine kinase, deoxycytidine as does human deoxycytidine kinase, the cytosolic kinase whose amino acid sequence it most closely resembles, and thymidylate as does human thymidylate kinase. Following peripheral inoculation of mice, viral thymidine kinase is ordinarily required for viral replication in ganglia and for reactivation from latency following ganglionic explant. To determine which activity of the viral kinase is important for replication and reactivation in mouse ganglia, recombinant viruses lacking viral thymidine kinase but expressing individual human kinases were constructed. Each recombinant virus expressed the appropriate kinase activity with early kinetics following infection of cultured cells. The virus expressing human thymidine kinase exhibited thymidine phosphorylation activity equivalent to ~5% of that of wild-type virus in a quantitative plaque autoradiography assay. Nevertheless, it was competent for ganglionic replication and reactivation following corneal inoculation of mice. The virus expressing human thymidylate kinase was partially competent for these activities despite failing to express detectable thymidine kinase activity. The virus expressing human deoxycytidine kinase failed to replicate acutely in neurons or to reactivate from latency. Therefore, it appears that low levels of thymidine phosphorylation suffice to fulfill the role of the viral enzyme in ganglia and that this role can be partially fulfilled by thymidylate kinase activity alone.     

Structural and Kinetic Characterization of Thymidine Kinase from Leishmania major

Leishmania spp. is a protozoan parasite and the causative agent of leishmaniasis. Thymidine kinase (TK) catalyses the transfer of the γ-phosphate of ATP to 2’-deoxythymidine (dThd) forming thymidine monophosphate (dTMP). L. major Type II TK (LmTK) has been previously shown to be important for infectivity of the parasite and therefore has potential as a drug target for anti-leishmanial therapy. In this study, we determined the enzymatic properties and the 3D structures of holo forms of the enzyme. LmTK efficiently phosphorylates dThd and dUrd and has high structural homology to TKs from other species. However, it significantly differs in its kinetic properties from Trypanosoma brucei TK since purines are not substrates of the enzyme and dNTPs such as dUTP inhibit LmTK. The enzyme had Km and k_cat values for dThd of 1.1 μM and 2.62 s^-1 and exhibits cooperative binding for ATP. Additionally, we show that the anti-retroviral prodrug zidovudine (3-azido-3-deoxythymidine, AZT) and 5’-modified dUrd can be readily phosphorylated by LmTK. The production of recombinant enzyme at a level suitable for structural studies was achieved by the construction of C-terminal truncated versions of the enzyme and the use of a baculoviral expression system. The structures of the catalytic core of LmTK in complex with dThd, the negative feedback regulator dTTP and the bi-substrate analogue AP₅dT, were determined to 2.74, 3.00 and 2.40 Å, respectively, and provide the structural basis for exclusion of purines and dNTP inhibition. The results will aid the process of rational drug design with LmTK as a potential target for anti-leishmanial drugs.     

Serological Study of a Mutant of Herpesvirus Unable to Stimulate Thymidine Kinase

A mutant of herpes simplex virus which was unable to produce thymidine kinase also failed to produce an antigen which blocked the enzyme-inhibiting activity of antiserum prepared against virus-infected cells.     

Mitochondrial Thymidine Kinase 2 but Not Deoxyguanosine Kinase Is Up-Regulated During the Stationary Growth Phase of Cultured Cells

Mitochondrial thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) and deoxyguanosine kinase (dGK) catalyze the initial phosphorylation of pyrimidine and purine deoxyribonucleosides, and are essential for maintaining mitochondrial dNTP pools for mitochondrial DNA replication. Here the expression of mitochondrial TK2 and dGK in relation to cell growth phases in cultured cells was investigated. TK2 and dGK protein levels in isolated mitochondria and TK2 activity in total cell extracts from U2OS and TK1 deficient L929 cells were determined. We found that TK2 levels were negatively correlated with cell growth rates and there was an exponential increase in TK2 levels in cells entering stationary phase. The expression of dGK did not change and appeared to be constitutive.     

Analysis of the Relationship between Cellular Thymidine Kinase Activity and Virulence of Thymidine Kinase-Negative Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 and 2

The virulence of thymidine kinase-negative herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1; VRTK^? strain) and type 2 (HSV-2; UWTK^? strain) was studied in comparison with that of their parental strains (VR-3 and UW-268, respectively) in an encephalitis model of adult (4-week-old) and newborn (3-day-old) mice. Viral thymidine kinase (TK) activity was essential for the maximum expression of virulence of HSV-1, because the 50% lethal dose (LD₅₀) of VRTK^? was 60 times higher than that of VR-3 in the brains of newborn mice expressing high levels of cellular TK activity. However, the UWTK^? strain showed the same virulence as the parental strain in newborn mice, despite the lack virulence in adults, suggesting that replication of the UWTK^? strain was completely supported by cellular TK activity. This difference in the role of viral and cellular TKs for virus growth between HSV-1 and HSV-2 was confirmed with the one-step growth of virus strains in L-M and L-M(TK^?) cells.