TYMS

Thymidylate synthetase (EC 2.1.1.45) is the enzyme used to generate thymidine monophosphate (dTMP), which is subsequently phosphorylated to thymidine triphosphate for use in DNA synthesis and repair. 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dUMP dihydrofolate dTMP By means of reductive methylation, deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP) and N5,N10-methylene tetrahydrofolate are together used to form dTMP, yielding dihydrofolate as a secondary product. This provides the sole de novo pathway for production of dTMP and is the only enzyme in folate metabolism in which the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate is oxidised during one-carbon transfer. The enzyme is essential for regulating the balanced supply of the 4 DNA precursors in normal DNA replication: defects in the enzyme activity affecting the regulation process cause various biological and genetic abnormalities, such as thymineless death.[3] The enzyme is an important target for certain chemotherapeutic drugs. Thymidylate synthase is an enzyme of about 30 to 35 Kd in most species except in protozoan and plants where it exists as a bifunctional enzyme that includes a dihydrofolate reductase domain.[2] A cysteine residue is involved in the catalytic mechanism (it covalently binds the 5,6-dihydro-dUMP intermediate). The sequence around the active site of this enzyme is conserved from phages to vertebrates. As an anti-cancer chemotherapy target, thymidylate synthetase can be inhibited by the thymidylate synthase inhibitors such as fluorinated pyrimidine fluorouracil, or certain folate analogues, the most notable one being raltitrexed (trade name Tomudex).

d TMP synthase; EC 2.1.1.45; HsT422; MGC88736; OTTHUMP00000162195; Thymidylate synthase; thymidylate synthetase; TMS; TS; TSase; TYMS; TYMS protein; Tyms thymidylate synthetase;