Ribose precursors

The pathway has an oxidative phase, which is irreversible and generates NADPH and a nonoxidative phase, which is reversible and provides ribose precursors for nucleotide synthesis. The complete pathway is present only in those tissues having a requirement for NADPH for reductive syntheses, eg, lipogenesis or steroidogenesis, whereas the nonoxidative phase is present in all cells requiring ribose. 

HeLa cells were made permeable in order to allow the passage of the [ P]-labeled ADP-ribose precursor NAD into the cell. After a short labeHng period, the nuclei were isolated and the nuclear matrices were prepared. For complete removal of chromatin constituents and ribonucleoprotein complexes during the subsequent extraction with high salt buffer, nuclei were incubated with hi concentrations of DNase 1 and RNase A. 

Deoxypyrazofurin has been synthesized, using a modified Wittig t proach to generate the C-glycoside from a 5-deoxy-D-ribose precursor. ... 

Even if It could be shown that RNA preceded both DNA and proteins in the march toward living things that doesn t automatically make RNA the first self replicating molecule Another possibility is that a self replicating polynucleotide based on some carbo hydrate other than o ribose was a precursor to RNA Over many generations natural selection could have led to the replacement of the other carbohydrate by D ribose giving RNA Recent research on unnatural polynucleotides by Professor Albert Eschenmoser of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Zurich) has shown for example that nucleic acids based on L threose possess many of the properties of RNA and DNA... 

The pathways for thiamine biosynthesis have been elucidated only partiy. Thiamine pyrophosphate is made universally from the precursors 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpytimidinepyrophosphate [841-01-0] (47) and 4-methyl-5-(2-hydroxyethyl)thiazolephosphate [3269-79-2] (48), but there appear to be different pathways ia the eadier steps. In bacteria, the early steps of the pyrimidine biosynthesis are same as those of purine nucleotide biosynthesis, 5-Aminoimidazole ribotide [41535-66-4] (AIR) (49) appears to be the sole and last common iatermediate ultimately the elements are suppHed by glycine, formate, and ribose. AIR is rearranged in a complex manner to the pyrimidine by an as-yet undetermined mechanism. In yeasts, the pathway to the pyrimidine is less well understood and maybe different (74—83) (Fig. 9). 

Further experiments with labeled precursors were necessary to shed a little more light on this puzzling observation. Pyramine, biosynthesized from AIRs labeled with, 4C on C-l on the ribose part, exhibited only marginal radioactivity. This result rules out C-l of ribose in AIRs as a precursor of pyramine. This conclusion was confirmed with a precursor labeled at the C-l position with the stable l3C isotope. The mass spectrum of the ethylthio derivative of pyramine was identical with that of an unlabeled sample (Scheme 9). 

On the other hand, the fragmentation of pyramine obtained from (2 -l3C)AIRs indicated clearly that C-2, in the ribose part, was the precursor of carbon C-7 of the methyl on C-2 of the pyrimidine ring (Scheme 29). This result was confirmed by an experiment with a sample of AIRs labeled with l4C on C-l, C-2, C-3, on the ribose, and C-5 on the imidazole, with an approximate distribution of 1, 1, 3, 3. This precursor produced pyramine with the methyl group almost as radioactive as C-l or C-2, and much less than C-3 of AIRs. Because of the incorporation of C-5 of imidazole into C-4 of pyramine, and the comparable activities of C-3 and C-5 in the precursor AIRs, the specific activity of pyramine... 

It has been shown already that C-2 of ribose is the precursor of the methyl group, and C-l is eliminated in the biosynthesis. The following observation can be pertinent to the point. Pyrimidine (58) is very unstable and quickly decar-boxylates in aqueous solution at room temperature to give pyramine (Scheme 32).67 Thus, if a C-l -C-2 fragment of the ribose part of AIRs became attached by C-2 to C-2 of a pyrimidine, oxidation of C-l to produce a carboxylic acid function could result in its smooth elimination. 

Triazoline imino sugar derivatives 297 that are prospective glycosidase inhibitors have been prepared as single diastereomers in high yield via an lAOC reaction of in situ generated azido alkene 296 (Eq. 32) [78]. m-CPBA oxidation of the dithioacetal groups in the 0-acetylated 5-azido-5-deoxydibenzyl dithio-acetal of o-xylose or D-ribose 294 to the bis-sulfone 295, followed by loss of HOAc between C-1 and C-2 provided the lAOC precursor 296. 

Ribulose 5-phosphate is the substrate for two enzymes. Ribulose 5-phosphate 3-epimerase alters the configuration about carbon 3, forming another ketopentose, xylulose 5-phosphate. Ribose 5-phosphate ketoisom-erase converts ribulose 5-phosphate to the corresponding aldopentose, ribose 5-phosphate, which is the precursor of the ribose required for nucleotide and nucleic acid synthesis. Transketolase transfers the two-carbon... 

Takahashi and coworkers have used INOC for synthesis of the chiral CD rings paclitaxel, which is an antitumor agent. Synthetic strategy starting from 2-deoxy-D-ribose is demonstrated in Scheme 8.22.110 The precursor of INOC was prepared by 1,2-addition of a,(3-unsaturated ester to ketone. INOC and subsequent reductive cleavage by H2/Raney Ni afford the desired CD ring structure. 

Mlotkowska, B., Tropp, B.E., and Engel, R., The preparation of methyl 5-deoxy-5-(dihydroxyphosphinoyl)hydroxymethyl-2,3-0-isopropylidene-fS-D-ribofuranoside, a precursor to a hydroxymethylene analog of D-ribose 5-phosphate, Carbohydr. Res., 117, 95, 1985. 

A different, simpler , pathway is involved in the synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. A pyrimidine base (orotate), is synthesised first. Then the ribose is added from 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate. The two precursors for the formation of orotate are carbamoylphosphate and aspartate, which form carbamoyl aspartate, catalysed by aspartate carbamoyltransferase. 

Each new double helix is comprised of one strand that was part of the original molecule and one strand that is newly synthesized. Not surprisingly, this is a very simplistic description of a quite complex process, catalysed by enzymes known as DNA polymerases. The precursors for synthesis of the new chain are the nucleoside triphosphates, dATP, dGTP, dTTP, and dCTP. We have already met ATP when we considered anhydrides of phosphoric acid (see Box 7.25) these compounds are analogues of ATP, though the sugar is deoxyribose rather than ribose. 

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP, also known as the hexose monophosphate pathway) is an oxidative metabolic pathway located in the cytoplasm, which, like glycolysis, starts from glucose 6-phosphate. It supplies two important precursors for anabolic pathways NADPH+H+, which is required for the biosynthesis of fatty acids and isopren-oids, for example (see p. 168), and ribose 5-phosphate, a precursor in nucleotide biosynthesis (see p. 188). 

A metabolite, molecular entity, or some other event/ process that precedes another component in a longer sequence of events or conversions. For example, the isoprenoid metabolite squalene is a precursor of cholesterol and glucose 6-phosphate is a precursor of glycogen, ribose, and pyruvate. See Series First Order Reaction Pulse-Chase Experiments... 

Ethenediyl carbonate (l,3-dioxol-2-one vinylene carbonate, 417) is a readily available,270 versatile synthon having pronounced dienophilic properties.270-275 Diels-Alder adducts of 417 with 1,4-di-acetoxy-1,3-butadiene and furan were selectively converted into cy-clitols,256 257-275 and also served as precursors of DL-ribose derivatives258 (see Section IV, 2). Another possibility of applying 417 as an equivalent of a 1,2-dihydroxyethane unit has been demonstrated in a synthesis of racemic apiose. Photochemical cycloaddition of 417 to 1,3-diace-toxy-2-propanone (418) gave the oxetane derivative 419, which, on alkaline hydrolysis, afforded DL-apiose (420) in 23% yield.1... 

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