5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase

Function

5’-deoxy-5’-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) catalyzes the reversible phosphorolysis of 5’-deoxy-5’-methylthioadenosine (MTA) to adenine and 5-methylthio-D-ribose-1-phosphate. MTAP is part of the polyamine metabolism. This reaction is the principle source of adenine in human cells. MTAP catalyzes the first step in the methionine salvage pathway.

Disease

MTAP is deficient in many cancers because it is co-deleted with the tumor suppressor p16.

Relevance

MTAP is a potential target of chemotherapy. More than 20% of human various cancer cells do not show MTAP activity.

Structural highlights