KHK
KHK (ketohexokinase, also known as fructokinase) is the enzyme that catalyses the phosphorylation of the ketose sugar fructose to fructose-1-phosphate. It is the first enzyme in a specialised pathway that catabolises dietary fructose. Browse Assay Genie's current range of KHK research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
KHK catalyses the phosphorylation of the ketose sugar fructose to give fructose-1-phosphate. This reaction is the first step of a specialised pathway that catabolises dietary fructose, so the enzyme sits at the entry point of fructose metabolism. Researchers studying fructose handling often use KHK as the defining marker of this pathway.
The KHK gene encodes ketohexokinase, a member of the carbohydrate kinase PfkB family and classified by HGNC within the carbohydrate kinases gene group. The enzyme carries the EC number 2.7.1.3. According to NCBI Gene, alternatively spliced transcript variants of the KHK gene encode different isoforms. UniProt does not currently annotate a subcellular location for the KHK protein. Orthologues are present in mouse and rat, both named Khk, which allows the enzyme to be examined in rodent models.
The HGNC previous name for this gene, ketohexokinase (fructokinase), reflects the enzyme's activity on fructose. Because the reaction commits dietary fructose to a dedicated catabolic route, KHK is a natural focus for work on carbohydrate metabolism and on how fructose is processed differently from other sugars. Reagents for detecting KHK, such as an anti-KHK antibody or a KHK ELISA kit, support studies of its expression and abundance across experimental systems.
KHK performs the first step of a specialised pathway that catabolises dietary fructose, making it central to studies of how fructose is processed.
As a PfkB family member and carbohydrate kinase, KHK is a reference enzyme for comparing sugar phosphorylation mechanisms.
KHK converts fructose to fructose-1-phosphate, providing a defined reaction for activity and substrate-specificity studies.
Alternatively spliced KHK transcripts encode different isoforms, which makes the gene relevant to work on transcript variation.
KHK, or ketohexokinase, catalyses the phosphorylation of the ketose sugar fructose to fructose-1-phosphate. According to NCBI Gene, it is the first enzyme in a specialised pathway that catabolises dietary fructose.
The HGNC previous name is ketohexokinase (fructokinase), and the enzyme is listed as EC 2.7.1.3. No other aliases are recorded. NCBI Gene reports that alternatively spliced transcript variants of the KHK gene encode different isoforms.
Mouse and rat both have an orthologous gene named Khk, so the enzyme can be studied in common rodent models. UniProt places KHK in the carbohydrate kinase PfkB family. Check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity.
Other carbohydrate kinases and fructose-metabolism targets with products at Assay Genie.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt P50053; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.