MitoSciences: Transketolase (TKT)

UniProt Number:	P29401
Alternate Names:	n/a
Structure and Function:	Transketolase is a key enzyme in the non-oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway that transfers a two-carbon glycoaldehyde unit from ketose-donor to aldose-acceptor sugars. The enzyme is also involved in the photosynthetic Calvin cycle in plants and autotrophic bacteria. Thiamine diphosphate and calcium are essential cofactors in Transketolase catalyzed reactions. In mammals, transketolase connects the pentose phosphate pathway to glycolysis, feeding excess sugar phosphates into the main carbohydrate metabolic pathways. Its presence is necessary for the production of NADPH, especially in tissues actively engaged in biosyntheses, such as fatty acid synthesis by the liver and mammary glands, and for steroid synthesis by the liver and adrenal glands.
Disease Associations:	Transketolase activity is decreased in deficiency of thiamine, which is generally due to malnutrition, i.e. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.