Adenosine Metabolism, Adenosine Kinase, and Evolution

The enzyme adenosine kinase (AdK, ADK, or AK) plays an important role in regulating the intracellular as well as extracellular concentrations of adenosine and hence its diverse physiological actions. In view of the enormous pharmacological potential of adenosine, there has been much interest in studying adenosine kinase over the past few decades. This chapter summarizes the wealth of information that has accumulated concerning its structure and …