Background |
MTAP is an enzyme that is essential for the salvage pathway for both adenine and methionine synthesis. MTAP catalyzes the cleavage of 5�-methylthioadenosine into adenine and 5-methylthio-D-ribose-1-phosphate. Adenine is then used to generate AMP whereas 5-methylthio-D-ribose-1-phosphate is converted into methionine (1, 2). MTAP is expressed in all normal cells and tissues, although frequently lost in different human tumors including pancreatic adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors, non-small cell lung carcinoma and breast carcinoma. MTAP is usually codeleted with p16 (cdkN2a/ARF) (3-5). MTAP overexpression in breast cancer cells inhibits their ability to form colonies in soft agar, thereby implicating its function as a tumor suppressor (6). |
Research Area |
Autophagy antibody, Cancer, Cardiovascular, Cell Biology, Epigenetics and Nuclear Signaling, Developmental Biologys, Immunology, Drug Discovery Products, Metabolism, Neuroscience, Signal Transduction, Stem Cells |