Thymidine phosphorylase

In enzymology, a thymidine phosphorylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction


 * thymidine + phosphate $$\rightleftharpoons$$ thymine + 2-deoxy-alpha-D-ribose 1-phosphate

Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are thymidine and phosphate, whereas its two products are thymine and 2-deoxy-alpha-D-ribose 1-phosphate.

This enzyme belongs to the family of glycosyltransferases, specifically the pentosyltransferases. The systematic name of this enzyme class is thymidine:phosphate deoxy-alpha-D-ribosyltransferase. Other names in common use include pyrimidine phosphorylase, thymidine-orthophosphate deoxyribosyltransferase, animal growth regulators, blood platelet-derived endothelial cell, growth factors, blood platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor, deoxythymidine phosphorylase, gliostatins, pyrimidine deoxynucleoside phosphorylase, and thymidine:phosphate deoxy-D-ribosyltransferase. This enzyme participates in 3 metabolic pathways: purine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and bladder cancer.

Structural studies
As of late 2007, 6 structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes, , , , , and.