Human Nm23 family consists of eight gene products that have been implicated in cellular differentiation,development and apoptosis,as well as oncogenesis and tumor metastasis.The protein products of Nm23 are nucleoside diphosphate kinases(NDPKs),the key metabolic enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of nucleoside triphosphates(NTP) by transfer of the terminal phosphate between NDP and NTP.Recent investigations are focused on the extraordinary pleiotropy and its mechanism of Nm23/NDPK.In this article,we review the recent progress in studies of the mechanism of Nm23/NDPK as metastasis suppressors,and other bioactivities of NDPK out of phosphate transfer enzyme,as well as the character of NDPK’s quaternary structure and the relation between its structure and function.In addition to these,the potential applications of NDPK as an enhancer of antiviral drugs or Nm23 as a drug target were also described.Findings herein summarized provide new and intriguing suggestions for a more extensive understanding of the biological functions of the star molecule,Nm23/NDPK.
