Deoxyuridine (dU) is a
compound and a
nucleoside.It belongs to a class of compounds known as Pyrimidine 2'-deoxyribonucleosides and closely resembles the chemical composition of uridine but without the presence of the 2' hydroxyl group.
Idoxuridine and
Trifluridine are variants of deoxyuridine used as
antiviral drug
Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do n ...
s. They are similar enough to be incorporated as part of
DNA replication, but they possess side groups on the
uracil component (an
iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...
and a CF
3 group, respectively), that prevent
base pair
A base pair (bp) is a fundamental unit of double-stranded nucleic acids consisting of two nucleobases bound to each other by hydrogen bonds. They form the building blocks of the DNA double helix and contribute to the folded structure of both DNA ...
ing. A known use of dU is as a precursor in the synthesis of
Edoxudine.
This compound exists in all living organisms and can become part of DNA in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells through two mechanisms. The first is the removal of an amino group from cytosine to result in uracil and the second is the non-intentional incorporation of pyrimidine where thymine belongs in the DNA, resulting in dUMP.
UMP synthase deficiency is a metabolic disorder in humans that involves deoxyuridine. Deoxyuridine can be toxic. It has also been found in several foods, which makes it a useful indicator for diseases through consumption of those foods.
References
{{Nucleobases, nucleosides, and nucleotides
Nucleosides
Pyrimidinediones