Nucleotides, the most important raw material for the biosynthesis of nucleic acid, also participate in energy metabolism and cellular regulation. Abnormalities in the process of biosynthesis and degradation of nucleotides are closely related to the occurrence and treatment of certain diseases, including tumors. During tumorigenesis, the de novo synthesis of nucleotides is abnormally active, among which the upregulation of the key enzymes for de novo synthesis of pyrimidine or purine are not only related to the abnormal proliferation of tumor cells, but also lead to the poor prognosis of tumors. Medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules derived from plants are attracting more and more attention, and whether they can inhibit the proliferation of tumors by influencing nucleotide metabolism and exerting antimetabolite-like effects remains to be studied.
The metabolism of tumor cells is significantly different from that of normal cells. In order to proliferate rapidly, tumor cells need to obtain more energy and raw materials for proliferation, and among them, nucleotide metabolism plays an important role in tumorigenesis by providing sufficient raw materials for DNA and RNA synthesis. Therefore, the development of drugs that target key enzymes of nucleotides biosynthesize may be effective in inhibiting tumor development and transformation. The molecular mechanism between medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules derived from plants and nucleotide metabolism of tumor cells is well worth exploring. Both theoretical and experimental bases for the selection of clinical tumor treatment drugs can be unveiled upon further mechanistic discussions.
The aim of the current Research Topic is to cover novel research trends in the medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules that affect the tumorigenesis through acting on nucleotide metabolism. Topics to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• The medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules and antimetabolites
• The medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules and tumorigenesis
• Molecular mechanism of the medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules affecting tumorigenesis
• Relationship between medicine-food homologous bioactive small molecules and key enzymes in purine and pyrimidine nucleotide metabolism during tumorigenesis
• Relationship between nucleotide metabolism and energy metabolism during tumorigenesis
• Icaritin inhibiting CAD activity to affect de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotide in liver cancer cells
Please note: studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic/transcriptomic/proteomic data do not fall within the scope of the section unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Keywords:
Nucleotide metabolism, pyrimidine, de novo synthesis, CAD, Icaritin
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Nucleotides, the most important raw material for the biosynthesis of nucleic acid, also participate in energy metabolism and cellular regulation. Abnormalities in the process of biosynthesis and degradation of nucleotides are closely related to the occurrence and treatment of certain diseases, including tumors. During tumorigenesis, the de novo synthesis of nucleotides is abnormally active, among which the upregulation of the key enzymes for de novo synthesis of pyrimidine or purine are not only related to the abnormal proliferation of tumor cells, but also lead to the poor prognosis of tumors. Medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules derived from plants are attracting more and more attention, and whether they can inhibit the proliferation of tumors by influencing nucleotide metabolism and exerting antimetabolite-like effects remains to be studied.
The metabolism of tumor cells is significantly different from that of normal cells. In order to proliferate rapidly, tumor cells need to obtain more energy and raw materials for proliferation, and among them, nucleotide metabolism plays an important role in tumorigenesis by providing sufficient raw materials for DNA and RNA synthesis. Therefore, the development of drugs that target key enzymes of nucleotides biosynthesize may be effective in inhibiting tumor development and transformation. The molecular mechanism between medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules derived from plants and nucleotide metabolism of tumor cells is well worth exploring. Both theoretical and experimental bases for the selection of clinical tumor treatment drugs can be unveiled upon further mechanistic discussions.
The aim of the current Research Topic is to cover novel research trends in the medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules that affect the tumorigenesis through acting on nucleotide metabolism. Topics to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• The medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules and antimetabolites
• The medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules and tumorigenesis
• Molecular mechanism of the medicine and food homologous bioactive small molecules affecting tumorigenesis
• Relationship between medicine-food homologous bioactive small molecules and key enzymes in purine and pyrimidine nucleotide metabolism during tumorigenesis
• Relationship between nucleotide metabolism and energy metabolism during tumorigenesis
• Icaritin inhibiting CAD activity to affect de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotide in liver cancer cells
Please note: studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic/transcriptomic/proteomic data do not fall within the scope of the section unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Keywords:
Nucleotide metabolism, pyrimidine, de novo synthesis, CAD, Icaritin
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.