Anti-Thymidine Kinase 2/TK2 Antibody Picoband® Fluoro488 Conjugated

Thymidine kinase 2, mitochondrial is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TK2 gene. This gene encodes a deoxyribonucleoside kinase that specifically phosphorylates thymidine, deoxycytidine, and deoxyuridine. The encoded enzyme localizes to the mitochondria and is required for mitochondrial DNA synthesis. Mutations in this gene are associated with a myopathic form of mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms, some of which lack transit peptide, so are not localized to mitochondria.

Conjugation of reduced glutathione to a wide number of exogenous and endogenous hydrophobic electrophiles. May govern uptake and detoxification of both endogenous compounds and xenobiotics at the testis and brain blood barriers.

1. Akman, H. O., Dorado, B., Lopez, L. C., Garcia-Cazorla, A., Vila, M. R., Tanabe, L. M., Dauer, W. T., Bonilla, E., Tanji, K., Hirano, M. Thymidine kinase 2 (H126N) knockin mice show the essential role of balanced deoxynucleotide pools for mitochondrial DNA maintenance. Hum. Molec. Genet. 17: 2433-2440, 2008. 2. Bartesaghi, S., Betts-Henderson, J., Cain, K., Dinsdale, D., Zhou, X., Karlsson, A., Salomoni, P., Nicotera, P. Loss of thymidine kinase 2 alters neuronal bioenergetics and leads to neurodegeneration. Hum. Molec. Genet. 19: 1669-1677, 2010. 3. Behin, A., Jardel, C., Claeys, K. G., Fagart, J., Louha, M., Romero, N. B., Laforet, P., Eymard, B., Lombes, A. Adult cases of mitochondrial DNA depletion due to TK2 defect: an expanding spectrum. Neurology 78: 644-648, 2012.