Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.1.21 (thymidine kinase)
 7,561 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Small DNA viruses (adenoviruses, simian virus 40, or human papillomaviruses) induce S-phase progression but prevent cell division to provide precursors for viral DNA replication. Herpes simplex viruses types 1 or 2 (HSV-1 or HSV-2) contain genes which encode DNA-metabolizing enzymes, for example, ribonucleotide reductase, thymidine kinase and dUTPase, suggesting that S-phase factors are not required for an efficient infection. However, several studies indicated that HSV induces some events that occur during cell-cycle progression. To determine if HSV-2 induces S-phase entry, we examined serum-arrested African green monkey kidney cells (CV-1) after infection. Two hours after infection steady-state levels of the S-phase-specific cyclin, cyclin A, increased. S-phase cyclin-dependent kinase activity (CDK2) was stimulated 10-fold 8 h after infection but decreased at 16 or 24 h after infection. Mitotic CDK activity (CDC2) was not activated after infection, in part due to decreases in CDC2 protein levels and inactivation of enzymatic activity resulting from tyrosine phosphorylation of CDC2. Furthermore, CDK4 activity was not dramatically affected by infection. These studies indicate that HSV-2 infection selectively activates CDK2 after infection but cell-cycle progression does not occur. We hypothesize that infection activates certain components of the cell cycle which enhance viral gene expression and DNA replication.
 ...
PMID:Analysis of cyclin-dependent kinase activity after herpes simplex virus type 2 infection. 940 Sep 86

Induced cell cycle delays were among the first described cellular responses to ionizing radiation (IR). To understand the sensitivity and the molecular events involved in the response to low doses of IR and to examine the role of p53 and its downstream effector p21Waf1, we measured changes in expression of genes postulated to be involved in the cellular response to IR. Expression levels were examined in normal human diploid fibroblasts irradiated and maintained in quiescent density-inhibited growth up to 24-48 h after exposure to X-ray doses as low as 0.1-0.3 Gy, which have negligible effects on cell survival. Among 31 genes analyzed, we observed down-regulation in response to IR of the mRNA levels of CDC2, cyclin A, cyclin B, thymidine kinase, topoisomerase IIalpha, and RAD51. A similar reduction in the expression levels of these genes occurred when irradiated cells were released from confluence and allowed to proliferate. This was not observed in cells in which p53 function was defective and up-regulation of p21Waf1 levels either did not occur (E6 transfected normal human fibroblasts and Li-Fraumeni fibroblasts) or was delayed (ataxia telangiectasia fibroblasts) after irradiation. Down-regulation was also absent in p21Waf1-null mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) but occurred at a lower level in p53-null MEFs, due to slight increases in p21Waf1 levels by a p53-independent pathway. These findings indicate that the down-regulation of these cell cycle regulated genes in irradiated cells is p53-dependent and involves its effector p21Waf1. Although no down-regulation in the expression of genes involved in G2-M was observed in p53 or in p21Waf1-null MEFs, these cells showed a G2-M delay after irradiation, indicating that the expression levels of these genes does not regulate the G2-M delay.
 ...
PMID:Regulation by ionizing radiation of CDC2, cyclin A, cyclin B, thymidine kinase, topoisomerase IIalpha, and RAD51 expression in normal human diploid fibroblasts is dependent on p53/p21Waf1. 983 Dec 41

Activation of Akt, or protein kinase B, is frequently observed in human cancers. Here we report that Akt activation via overexpression of a constitutively active form or via the loss of PTEN can overcome a G(2)/M cell cycle checkpoint that is induced by DNA damage. Activated Akt also alleviates the reduction in CDC2 activity and mitotic index upon exposure to DNA damage. In addition, we found that PTEN null embryonic stem (ES) cells transit faster from the G(2)/M to the G(1) phase of the cell cycle when compared to wild-type ES cells and that inhibition of phosphoinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) in HEK293 cells elicits G(2) arrest that is alleviated by activated Akt. Furthermore, the transition from the G(2)/M to the G(1) phase of the cell cycle in Akt1 null mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) is attenuated when compared to that of wild-type MEFs. These results indicate that the PI3K/PTEN/Akt pathway plays a role in the regulation of G(2)/M transition. Thus, cells expressing activated Akt continue to divide, without being eliminated by apoptosis, in the presence of continuous exposure to mutagen and accumulate mutations, as measured by inactivation of an exogenously expressed herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene. This phenotype is independent of p53 status and cannot be reproduced by overexpression of Bcl-2 or Myc and Bcl-2 but seems to counteract a cell cycle checkpoint mediated by DNA mismatch repair (MMR). Accordingly, restoration of the G(2)/M cell cycle checkpoint and apoptosis in MMR-deficient cells, through reintroduction of the missing component of MMR, is alleviated by activated Akt. We suggest that this new activity of Akt in conjunction with its antiapoptotic activity may contribute to genetic instability and could explain its frequent activation in human cancers.
 ...
PMID:Activation of Akt/protein kinase B overcomes a G(2)/m cell cycle checkpoint induced by DNA damage. 1239 Nov 52