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

Non-nucleoside inhibitors of mitochondrial thymidine kinase (TK-2) differentially inhibit the closely related herpes simplex virus type 1 TK and Drosophila melanogaster multifunctional deoxynucleoside kinase.

5'-O-Trityl derivatives of thymidine (dThd), (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (BVDU), and their acyclic analogs 1-[(Z)-4-triphenylmethoxy-2-butenyl]thymine (KIN-12) and (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-1-[(Z)-4-triphenylmethoxy-2-butenyl]uracil (KIN-52) have been synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against the amino acid sequence related mitochondrial dThd kinase (TK-2), herpes simp...

Mitochondrial expression of the Drosophila melanogaster multisubstrate deoxyribonucleoside kinase.

The multisubstrate deoxyribonucleoside kinase from Drosophila melanogaster deoxyribonucleoside kinase (Dm-dNK) is studied as a candidate suicide gene for applications in combined gene/chemotherapy of cancer. We have created an engineered Dm-dNK nucleoside kinase that is targeted to the mitochondrial matrix. The enzyme was expressed in a thymidine kinase 1-deficient osteosarcoma cell line, and t...

ACCELERATED COMMUNICATION Non-Nucleoside Inhibitors of Mitochondrial Thymidine Kinase (TK-2) Differentially Inhibit the Closely Related Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 TK and Drosophila melanogaster Multifunctional Deoxynucleoside Kinase

5 -O-Trityl derivatives of thymidine (dThd), (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2 -deoxyuridine (BVDU), and their acyclic analogs 1-[(Z)-4triphenylmethoxy-2-butenyl]thymine (KIN-12) and (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-1-[(Z)-4-triphenylmethoxy-2-butenyl]uracil (KIN-52) have been synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against the amino acid sequence related mitochondrial dThd kinase (TK-2), herpes simpl...

Long term expression of Drosophila melanogaster nucleoside kinase in thymidine kinase 2-deficient mice with no lethal effects caused by nucleotide pool imbalances.

Mitochondrial DNA depletion caused by thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) deficiency can be compensated by a nucleoside kinase from Drosophila melanogaster (Dm-dNK) in mice. We show that transgene expression of Dm-dNK in Tk2 knock-out (Tk2(-/-)) mice extended the life span of Tk2(-/-) mice from 3 weeks to at least 20 months. The Dm-dNK(+/-)Tk2(-/-) mice maintained normal mitochondrial DNA levels throughou...

Expressing the multifunctional nucleoside kinase of Drosophila melanogaster in a mouse model : a strategy to reverse the depletion of mtDNA caused by nucleoside kinase deficiency