deoxyguanosine

Deoxyguanosine is a deoxyribonucleoside consisting of the purine base guanine attached to a 2′-deoxyribose sugar via a beta-N9 glycosidic bond. It is one of the four nucleosides that constitute DNA, with guanine pairing with cytosine through standard base pairing. Its molecular formula is C10H13N5O4.

In cells, deoxyguanosine arises during DNA turnover and repair and can be liberated into the nucleotide pool. Cellular kinases phosphorylate deoxyguanosine to form dGMP, which can be further converted to dGDP and dGTP. These triphosphates serve as essential substrates for DNA synthesis and repair. Deoxyguanosine can also participate in salvage pathways that recycle purine nucleotides, helping maintain the deoxyribonucleotide balance required for replication and maintenance.

Deoxyguanosine is present in all tissues as a natural component of DNA. Beyond its structural role in genetic material, it is used in biochemical and biomedical research as a substrate to study nucleotide metabolism, DNA synthesis, and related enzymatic processes. Abnormalities in purine metabolism can influence the pools of deoxyribonucleotides, with potential downstream effects on DNA replication fidelity and cellular proliferation.

See also: deoxyribonucleoside, guanine, DNA replication, nucleotide metabolism.