{{Short description|Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens}} {{Redirect|TK2|the video game|Tekken 2{{!}}''Tekken 2''}} {{Infobox_gene}}
'''Thymidine kinase 2, mitochondrial''' is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TK2 gene.<ref name="entrez">{{cite web | title = Entrez Gene: Thymidine kinase 2, mitochondrial | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/7084 }}</ref>
==Function==
This gene encodes a deoxyribonucleoside kinase that specifically phosphorylates thymidine, deoxycytidine, and deoxyuridine. The encoded enzyme localizes to the mitochondria and is required for mitochondrial DNA synthesis. Mutations in this gene are associated with a myopathic form of mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms, some of which lack transit peptide, so are not localized to mitochondria.
This kinase is not present in yeast.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Zeman L, Lusena CV | title = DNA precursors and the absence of thymidine kinase in yeast mitochondria | journal = FEBS Letters | volume = 40 | issue = 1 | pages = 84–7 | date = March 1974 | pmid = 4604357 | doi = 10.1016/0014-5793(74)80899-9 | s2cid = 40059011 | doi-access = free }}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
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Category:Human proteins