Plant deoxyribonucleoside kinase enzymes and their use

Articles comprising a nucleoside analogue and a plant deoxyribonucleoside kinase, or a gene coding for said plant deoxyribonucleoside kinase, or vector comprising said gene coding for said plant deoxyribonucleoside kinase, or a packaging cell line capable of producing an infective virion comprising said vector, as a combination for the simultaneous, separate or successive administration in cancer therapy.

A method of inhibiting a pathogenic agent in a warm-blooded animal, which method comprises administering to said animal a polynucleotide or a vector encoding a plant deoxyribonucleoside kinase enzyme, or a packaging cell line capable of producing an infective virion comprising said vector.

The isolated plant deoxyribonucleoside kinase of claim 68, which is derived from loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), and which enzyme shows at least 90% identity with the amino acid sequence presented as SEQ ID NO:

• 4.

The isolated plant deoxyribonucleoside kinase of claim 68, which is derived from tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum), and which enzyme shows at least 90% identity with the amino acid sequence presented as SEQ ID NO:

• 6.

The isolated plant deoxyribonucleoside kinase of claim 68, which is derived from maize (Zea mays), and which enzyme shows at least 90% identity with the amino acid sequence presented as SEQ ID NO:

• 8.

The isolated plant deoxyribonucleoside kinase of claim 68, which is derived from rice (Oryza sativa), and which enzyme shows at least 70% identity with the amino acid sequence presented as SEQ ID NO:

• 10.

The isolated plant deoxyribonucleoside kinase of claim 68, which is derived from rice (Oryza sativa), and which enzyme shows at least 90% identity with the amino acid sequence presented as SEQ ID NO:

• 12.

46-49. (canceled)

An isolated polynucleotide encoding a plant dCK/dGK-like deoxyribonucleoside kinase, selected from the group consisting of

• i. an isolated polynucleotide having the sequence of any of SEQ ID No. 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11, an isolated polynucleotide encoding an enzyme showing at least 90% sequence identity with an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID Nos 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12,
• ii. an isolated polynucleotide which when aligned to any of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 has at least 90% sequence identity to said sequence in the range of overlap,
• iii. the complementary sequence of any of the above.

(canceled)

A method of phosphorylating a nucleoside or a nucleoside analog, comprising the steps of

• i) subjecting the nucleoside or nucleoside analog to the action of a plant deoxyribonucleoside kinase enzyme having dCK/dGK activity, and
• ii) recovering the phosphorylated nucleoside or nucleoside analog.

A method of controlling or modifying growth of a plant, which plant comprises plant cells comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a pland dCK/dGK enzyme, which method comprises the step of exposing the plant or plant cells to a nucleoside analogue.