DUT polyclonal antibody

dUTPase (deoxyuridine 5’-triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase), also known as DUT or dUTP pyrophosphatase, is a preventive DNA repair enzyme that functions in nucleotide metabolism. dUTPase is expressed in a variety of tissues and, depending on the isoform (DUT-N or DUT-M), localizes to the nucleus or the mitochondrion. The nuclear isoform, DUT-N, is the most abundant of the two isoforms. dUTPase, in the presence of magnesium ions, is responsible for hydrolyzing dUTP to dUMP and diphosphate. This reaction is important for keeping the intracellular dUTP concentration low so that uracil does not become incorporated into DNA. Extensive incorporation of uracil into DNA can ultimately lead to cell death. This suggests that dUTPase is essential for cell viability, further implying that dUTPase is a potential target for anticancer therapy. In addition, dUMP, the product of the hydrolysis reaction, is a precursor of thymidine nucleotides which are essential for DNA replication.