FN3K catalyzes phosphorylation of fructosamines formed by glycation, the nonenzymatic reaction of glucose with primary amines followed by Amadori rearrangement. Phosphorylation of fructosamines may initiate metabolism of the modified amine and result in deglycation of glycated proteins.[7][8]
FN3K is responsible for the formation of fructose 3-phosphate (F3P), a compound identified in the lenses of diabetic rats. The spontaneous decomposition of F3P leads to the formation of 3-deoxyglucosone (3DG). 3DG contributes to diabetic complications. Treatment of normal and diabetic rats with an inhibitor of FN3K demonstrated a large reduction (~50%) in systemic 3DG in both groups. Removal of 3DG at its source by inhibition of FN3K is a viable option to treat diabetes related diseases since it would require a much smaller dose of drug.
^Delpierre G, Van Schaftingen E (Dec 2003). "Fructosamine 3-kinase, an enzyme involved in protein deglycation". Biochem Soc Trans. 31 (Pt 6): 1354–7. doi:10.1042/BST0311354. PMID14641062.
Conner JR, Beisswenger PJ, Szwergold BS (2004). "The expression of the genes for fructosamine-3-kinase and fructosamine-3-kinase-related protein appears to be constitutive and unaffected by environmental signals". Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 323 (3): 932–6. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.08.181. PMID15381090.
Conner JR, Beisswenger PJ, Szwergold BS (2005). "Some clues as to the regulation, expression, function, and distribution of fructosamine-3-kinase and fructosamine-3-kinase-related protein". Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1043 (1): 824–36. Bibcode:2005NYASA1043..824C. doi:10.1196/annals.1333.095. PMID16037310. S2CID19916880.
Delpierre G, Veiga-da-Cunha M, Vertommen D, et al. (2006). "Variability in erythrocyte fructosamine 3-kinase activity in humans correlates with polymorphisms in the FN3K gene and impacts on haemoglobin glycation at specific sites". Diabetes Metab. 32 (1): 31–9. doi:10.1016/S1262-3636(07)70244-6. PMID16523184.
