NUDT1 is an enzyme that hydrolyzes oxidized purine nucleoside triphosphates, such as 8-oxo-dGTP, 8-oxo-dATP, 2-hydroxy-dATP, and 2-hydroxy rATP, to monophosphates, thereby preventing misincorporation of 8-oxo-dGTP into DNA thus preventing A:T to C:G transversions. NUDT1 is found mostly in the cytoplasm, with some in the mitochondria, suggesting that it is involved in the sanitization of nucleotide pools both for nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Moreover, NUDT1 is expressed at much higher levels in proliferating cells than in resting cells. Misincorporation of oxidized nucleoside triphosphates into DNA/RNA during replication and transcription can cause mutations which may result in carcinogenesis or neurodegeneration.
