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TK1656, an L-asparaginase from Thermococcus kodakarensis, a novel candidate for therapeutic applications

Abstract L-Asparaginase is a potential therapeutic agent owing to its anti-tumor activity. We have previously characterized a thermostable L-asparaginase (TK1656F from Thermococcus kodakaraensis that exhibits highest ever reported enzymatic activity, no glutaminase activity and high stability. In this study we have compared the cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative activity of TK1656 and a commercially available L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli on cancerous cells. Despite of the thermophilic origin, the amount of TK1656 required to inhibit equivalent growth of HeLa cells at 37°C was three times less than that of the L-asparaginase from E. coli. It is worth mentioning that TK1656 showed much reduced cytotoxic effect on non-cancerous cells as compared to the E. coli counterpart. Furthermore, TK1656 was found to potentiate induction of apoptosis of cancerous cells. Overall, our findings suggest that TK1656 harbors a remarkable potential for the cancer chemotherapeutics.