Human dihydrofolate reductase has been used in a study to investigate the stable expression of green fluorescent protein and the targeted disruption of thioredoxin peroxidase-1 gene in Babesia bovis. Human dihydrofolate reductase has also been used in a study to investigate the structural analysis of human dihydrofolate reductase as a binary complex.
The human DHFR gene, as well as DHFR genes in other mammalian species, overcome the inhibitory effects of methotrexate by a mechanism of gene amplification or by amino-acid mutagenesis. Dihydroflate reductase (DHFR) catalyzes the NADPH dependent reduction of dihydrofolate (DHF) to tetrahydrofolate (THF) and, at a much lower rate, the conversion of folate to THF. The reaction product, THF, is an essential cofactor in the conversion of deoxyuridylate (dUMP) to deoxythymidylate (dTMP) by thymidylate synthetase. It is a key enzyme in thymidine synthesis. Therefore, DHFR is a critical enzyme in DNA synthesis and has become a target for drug development and cancer therapy. The variations between DHFR from different sources have enabled the development of species selective DHFR inhibitors, such as trimethoprim (antibacterial and antifungal), pyrimethamine (antiprotozoal), and methotrexate; MTX (antineoplastic, antipsoriatic, and anti-inflammatory).
