What is thymidylate synthetase?

All organisms are constantly synthesizing new DNA and repairing damaged DNA Thymidylate synthetase is a kind of protein needed for DNA production by organic compounds It involves the production of thymidine, one of the nucleic acids used in DNA biosynthesis and repair DNA is composed of double helix structure, which is formed by the combination of two nucleic acids Cytosine binds guanidine, while adenosine binds thymidine Thymidylate synthetase is a key enzyme in the production of thymidine It regulates the supply of four precursor cells for these nucleic acids Without this enzyme, the organism would experience abnormal development or death In the metabolism of thymidine synthesis, the compounds filled with intermediates are often linked by high-energy phosphate groups These compounds are considered to be phosphorylated The maximum energy obtained from the phosphoric acid molecule comes from a three molecule group called the triphosphate group When the phosphate bond is cleaved, the process generates energy Because thymidylate synthetase is an enzyme, it can accelerate the catalytic reaction The nucleic acid base of thymidylate synthetase is uridine monophosphate It catalyzes the addition of methyl CH3 to thymine (dump) to produce thymidine monophosphate (dTMP) This molecule is added with an additional phosphate group by another enzyme to produce dtmp3 This highly phosphorylated compound can be used as a source of thymidine to contain damaged and newly formed DNA strands The enzyme coordinates with a folate derivative called 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate The additional compound produced with thymine is dihydrofolate, a folate derivative Because thymidylate synthetase plays an important role in the process of DNA synthesis, it has become the research object of pharmacy Without this enzyme, DNA would be difficult to synthesize Cancerous tissue often grows faster than surrounding normal tissue This means that these cancerous tissues can synthesize DNA faster Therefore, nucleic acid synthesis inhibitor is a potential antitumor drug in logic Thymidylate synthetase inhibitors have been shown to be effective in the control of certain types of human cancer Colorectal cancer, in particular, is particularly sensitive to this compound Successful inhibitors include fluorouracil and folate like chemicals Thymidylate synthetase inhibitor is more effective in the treatment of tumors with less thymidylate synthetase production.