UCK1 Human

UCK1 is a protein-coding gene that encodes a 277 amino-acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of approximately 31 kDa . The enzyme is universally expressed in healthy tissues and is involved in the phosphorylation of uridine and cytidine using ATP or GTP as phosphate donors . This phosphorylation is the first step in the pyrimidine salvage pathway and is considered rate-limiting .

There are two primary human uridine-cytidine kinases: UCK1 and UCK2. UCK1 is expressed in a wide range of tissues, while UCK2 is more restricted, being primarily found in the human placenta and various tumor cells . UCK1 and UCK2 share 72% sequence homology .

Recombinant UCK1 is produced through the expression of the UCK1 gene in a host organism, typically bacteria or yeast, to obtain large quantities of the enzyme for research and therapeutic purposes. This recombinant form retains the functional properties of the native enzyme, making it valuable for biochemical studies and potential therapeutic applications.

UCK1 has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer. The enzyme’s activity is essential for the proliferation of rapidly dividing cells, such as tumor cells, which rely on the pyrimidine salvage pathway for nucleotide synthesis . Inhibiting UCK1 activity has been proposed as a potential therapeutic strategy for targeting cancer cells .

Research on UCK1 has focused on understanding its role in nucleotide metabolism and its potential as a therapeutic target. Studies have shown that UCK1 can phosphorylate various uridine and cytidine analogs, which are used in chemotherapy . This makes UCK1 a critical enzyme for the activation of these analogs into their active forms.