Ribose-5-phosphate

Overview of Ribose-5-phosphate in biochemistry

Ribose-5-phosphate is a monosaccharide phosphate and a crucial intermediate in the pentose phosphate pathway. It plays a significant role in the synthesis of nucleotides and nucleic acids.

Structure

Ribose-5-phosphate is a five-carbon sugar phosphate, specifically a pentose monosaccharide. It is an ester of ribose and phosphoric acid.

Function

Ribose-5-phosphate is essential in the pentose phosphate pathway, a metabolic pathway parallel to glycolysis. This pathway generates NADPH and pentoses (5-carbon sugars) as well as ribose-5-phosphate, which is a precursor for the synthesis of nucleotides.

Biological Importance

Ribose-5-phosphate is a precursor for the synthesis of nucleotides such as ATP, GTP, CTP, and UTP. These nucleotides are vital for various biological processes, including DNA and RNA synthesis, cellular respiration, and signal transduction.

Related Pathways

The pentose phosphate pathway is divided into two phases: the oxidative phase and the non-oxidative phase. Ribose-5-phosphate is produced in the non-oxidative phase, where it can be converted into other sugars such as fructose-6-phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate through a series of transketolase and transaldolase reactions.

Clinical Significance

Abnormalities in the pentose phosphate pathway can lead to various metabolic disorders. For instance, a deficiency in the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase can result in hemolytic anemia, as the pathway is crucial for maintaining the level of NADPH in red blood cells.

See also

• Pentose phosphate pathway
• Nucleotide synthesis
• Metabolic pathway

External links

• [Ribose-5-phosphate on PubChem](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Ribose-5-phosphate)