CDPEthanolaminKette

CDPEthanolaminKette, commonly known in biochemistry as CDP-ethanolamine, is an activated intermediate in phospholipid biosynthesis. It is a nucleotide derivative consisting of cytidine diphosphate linked to the alcohol ethanolamine. As an activated donor of ethanolamine, the CDP-ethanolamine moiety participates in the synthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine, a major component of cellular membranes.

In the Kennedy pathway, ethanolamine is first phosphorylated to phosphoethanolamine, which is then converted with CTP by the enzyme cytidylyltransferase to CDP-ethanolamine, releasing pyrophosphate. CDP-ethanolamine subsequently reacts with diacylglycerol via an ethanolamine phosphotransferase to form phosphatidylethanolamine and CMP. This two-step activation enables efficient transfer of the ethanolamine group to the glycerol backbone.

CDP-ethanolamine is found in many bacteria and eukaryotes that synthesize phosphatidylethanolamine through this route. The pathway contributes to membrane lipid composition and integrity, and disruption can affect cell growth and viability in some organisms. The CDP-ethanolamine moiety is an example of a nucleotide-activated lipid precursor, related to other activated lipid carriers such as CDP-diacylglycerol and CMP-choline.

See also: phosphatidylethanolamine, Kennedy pathway, CDP-diacylglycerol, cytidylyltransferase, ethanolamine kinase.