| Tankyrase (TNKS) | |
|---|---|
| Gene | [TNKS](/genes/tnks) |
| UniProt | O95271 |
| PDB | 3EO5, 2J5O |
| Mol. Weight | 142 kDa (1320 amino acids) |
| Localization | Nucleus, cytoplasm, telomeres |
| Family | PARP (Poly-ADP-ribose polymerase) family |
| Chromosome | 8p23.1 |
| Diseases | [AD](/diseases/ad), [PD](/diseases/pd), [Cancer](/diseases/cancer) |
Tankyrase (TNKS) is a poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) family member that plays crucial roles in telomere maintenance, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and protein stability. Tankyrase dysfunction has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and various cancers.
Tankyrase (TNKS) is a 142 kDa protein encoded by the TNKS gene on chromosome 8p23.1 [1]. It belongs to the PARP family of enzymes that catalyze ADP-ribosylation of target proteins [2]. A closely related paralog, TNKS2, shares similar functions.
Tankyrase contains several functional domains:
The protein functions as both a scaffold and an enzyme, recruiting diverse substrates and modifying them with poly-ADP-ribose (PAR) chains [3].
In the healthy nervous system, tankyrase participates in:
Tankyrase contributes to AD pathogenesis through multiple mechanisms:
In PD, tankyrase involvement includes:
Tankyrase is frequently overexpressed in cancers and:
Several small molecule inhibitors are in development:
Smith et al. Tankyrase in development and disease (2018). 2018. ↩︎
Amé et al. PARP: a review of DNA repair and stress (2019). 2019. ↩︎
Riffell et al. Tankyrase biochemistry and function (2012). 2012. ↩︎
Zhang et al. Tankyrase in Alzheimer's disease (2020). 2020. ↩︎
Huang et al. Tankyrase inhibitors in cancer therapy (2009). 2009. ↩︎