Recombinant Human Thymidylate Synthase Protein Standard (His tag)

Supplementary information

This supplementary information is collated from multiple sources and compiled automatically.

Thymidylate Synthase (TS) also known as TYMS or TSase is an important enzyme involved in the de novo synthesis of thymidylate a nucleotide necessary for DNA replication and repair. TS catalyzes the methylation of deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP) to deoxythymidine monophosphate (dTMP) using 510-methylenetetrahydrofolate as a cofactor. It has an approximate molecular weight of 36 kDa. The enzyme is expressed in the cytoplasm of proliferating cells predominantly in tissues with high cellular turnover like bone marrow and the intestinal lining.

Biological function summary

Thymidylate synthase plays a critical role in DNA synthesis and cell division. As a member of the folate cycle it indirectly influences the supply of thymidine for DNA synthesis affecting cell proliferation. The enzyme generally functions as a homodimer which is necessary for its activity. Increased expression of TS usually correlates with high rates of cell division making it an important factor in rapidly growing tissues and tumors.

Pathways

Several important biological networks involve thymidylate synthase especially the folate and pyrimidine metabolism pathways. These pathways are essential for the maintenance of nucleotide pools within the cell. TS is functionally related to proteins like dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) which also play roles in folate metabolism and DNA synthesis. Collectively these proteins ensure the proper balance of nucleotide precursors for DNA replication and repair.

Thymidylate synthase is closely associated with cancer and certain autoimmunity conditions. Overexpression of TS is commonly observed in various cancers as tumor cells require increased nucleotide synthesis for rapid proliferation. This makes TS a target for several anticancer drugs like 5-fluorouracil which inhibits TS activity. Additionally aberrations in enzymes like dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) could affect TS function leading to chemotherapeutic agent sensitivity in cancer treatments.