adenilat

Adenilat is a term used in some languages to refer to adenylate or adenylyl groups in biochemistry. In English, the preferred terms are adenylate or adenylyl, and adenilate may appear as a cognate form in certain languages or older literature. The term collectively describes adenosine nucleotides bearing phosphate groups, most commonly AMP (adenosine monophosphate), ADP (adenosine diphosphate), and ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

Chemistry: An adenylate consists of an adenine-bearing ribonucleoside (adenosine) linked to one to three phosphate units via phosphoanhydride bonds. The triphosphate form (ATP) contains two high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds that are central to energy transfer. Adenylates can form metal complexes and participate in phosphate transfer reactions.

Biological role: ATP is the primary energy currency in cells, driving many biochemical processes. ADP and AMP are interconverted with ATP through phosphorylation and dephosphorylation reactions. The energy charge of the cell is often described by the relative levels of ATP, ADP, and AMP. ATP is also the substrate for adenylate cyclase, which converts it to cyclic AMP (cAMP), a second messenger.

RNA and protein context: In RNA, adenine residues exist as adenylate units within polyadenylate tails. Adenylylation is also a post-translational modification in which an AMP moiety is covalently attached to proteins, regulating activity or localization.

See also: Adenosine monophosphate, Adenosine diphosphate, Adenosine triphosphate, cyclic AMP, Adenylylation.