InterPro domain: IPR032854

AlkB proteins are dioxygenases that repair alkylation damage to DNA and RNA [ 1 ]. Nine mammalian AlkB homologues exist (ALKBH1-8, FTO), but only a subset functions as DNA/RNA repair enzymes [ 2 ].

This entry represents AlkB homologue 3 (ALKBH3, ABH3), which has a strong preference for single-stranded DNA also demethylates 1-methyladenine (1meA) and 3-methylcytosine (3meC) in RNA [ 3 , 3 , 4 ]. ALKBH3 is overexpressed in various cancers and contributes to cancer cell survival [ 5 , 6 , 7 ].

1. Human and bacterial oxidative demethylases repair alkylation damage in both RNA and DNA. Nature 421, 859-63
2. The AlkB Family of Fe(II)/α-Ketoglutarate-dependent Dioxygenases: Repairing Nucleic Acid Alkylation Damage and Beyond. J. Biol. Chem. 290, 20734-42
3. Substrate specificities of bacterial and human AlkB proteins. Nucleic Acids Res. 32, 3456-61
4. Human ABH3 structure and key residues for oxidative demethylation to reverse DNA/RNA damage. EMBO J. 25, 3389-97
5. ALKBH3 contributes to survival and angiogenesis of human urothelial carcinoma cells through NADPH oxidase and tweak/Fn14/VEGF signals. Clin. Cancer Res. 18, 5247-55
6. ALKBH3, a human AlkB homologue, contributes to cell survival in human non-small-cell lung cancer. Br. J. Cancer 104, 700-6
7. The oxidative demethylase ALKBH3 marks hyperactive gene promoters in human cancer cells. Genome Med 7, 66