Uridylates

Uridylates are a class of nucleotides that contain the nucleobase uracil. The most common uridylate is uridine monophosphate (UMP), also known as uridylic acid. UMP is a building block for RNA, where it pairs with adenine. It is also an intermediate in the biosynthesis of other pyrimidine nucleotides, such as UTP and CTP.

Uridine triphosphate (UTP) is a high-energy molecule that plays roles beyond RNA synthesis. It is involved in signal transduction pathways, acting as a signaling molecule in some cellular processes. UTP is also a substrate for glycogen synthesis, where it is converted to UDP-glucose, a precursor to glycogen. Uridine diphosphate (UDP) is an intermediate in carbohydrate metabolism and is also involved in the synthesis of glycoproteins and other complex carbohydrates.

The interconversion between these uridylate forms (UMP, UDP, UTP) is crucial for various metabolic processes. UMP is phosphorylated to UDP by nucleoside monophosphate kinases, and UDP is then phosphorylated to UTP by nucleoside diphosphate kinases. The breakdown of UTP or UDP can regenerate UMP. Uridylates are essential components of cellular metabolism, contributing to genetic information storage and transfer, as well as playing roles in energy metabolism and cellular signaling.