ADK
ADK (adenosine kinase, AK) is an ATP-dependent enzyme that phosphorylates adenosine at the 5' position. In doing so it regulates both extracellular adenosine and intracellular adenine nucleotide concentrations, and it helps clear modified adenosines derived from RNA degradation. Browse Assay Genie's current range of ADK research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
ADK is an adenosine kinase that transfers the gamma-phosphate from ATP to the purine nucleoside adenosine, phosphorylating it at the 5' position. Through this reaction it acts as a regulator of the concentrations of both extracellular adenosine and intracellular adenine nucleotides. The enzyme acts on unmodified and modified adenosines alike.
A second role lies in nucleoside detoxification. Modified nucleosides arise from the degradation of mRNAs, rRNAs and tRNAs, and they are intrinsically cytotoxic, so they must be cleared to prevent metabolic dysfunction. ADK phosphorylates the free cytosolic methylated adenosines N(6)-methyladenosine (m6A), N(6),N(6)-dimethyladenosine (m6,6A) and N(6)-isopentenyladenosine (i6A) to give adenosine monophosphate (AMP) intermediates. These are then detoxified further by MAPDA/ADAL. This makes ADK a key enzyme in handling the m6A post-transcriptional modification once RNA is broken down.
The human ADK gene encodes a protein of the carbohydrate kinase PfkB family, and HGNC places it in the nucleoside/nucleotide kinases group. UniProt records the protein in the cytosol and the nucleus. NCBI Gene notes that multiple transcript variants encode different isoforms. Adenosine has widespread effects on the cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory and immune systems, so inhibitors of the enzyme could play a pharmacological role in raising intravascular adenosine concentrations and acting as anti-inflammatory agents. Mouse and rat both carry an Adk ortholog.
ADK regulates extracellular adenosine, which has widespread effects on the cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory and immune systems.
By phosphorylating adenosine, ADK controls intracellular adenine nucleotide concentrations, linking the enzyme to purine metabolism.
ADK clears m6A, m6,6A and i6A nucleosides released from RNA degradation, supporting studies of modified nucleoside detoxification.
Inhibitors of the enzyme could raise intravascular adenosine and act as anti-inflammatory agents, making ADK a pharmacological target.
ADK catalyses the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of adenosine at the 5' position, regulating extracellular adenosine and intracellular adenine nucleotide levels. It also phosphorylates methylated adenosines such as m6A, m6,6A and i6A, producing AMP intermediates that are detoxified further by MAPDA/ADAL.
The HGNC-approved name is adenosine kinase, and the alias AK is also used. No previous gene names are recorded. NCBI Gene reports multiple transcript variants of the ADK gene that encode different isoforms, so check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity.
Mouse and rat both have an Adk ortholog, so rodent models can be used to study the enzyme. The sources link ADK to adenosine's effects on cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory and immune function, and inhibitors are of interest as possible anti-inflammatory agents.
Other nucleoside and nucleotide metabolism enzymes and adenosine pathway targets with products at Assay Genie.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt P55263; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.