Uridine diphosphate glucose (uracil-diphosphate glucose,
UDP-
glucose) is a
nucleotide sugar. It is involved in
glycosyltransferase reactions in
metabolism.
Functions
UDP-glucose is used in
nucleotide sugar metabolism as an activated form of glucose, a substrate for enzymes called
glucosyltransferases.
UDP-glucose is a precursor of
glycogen
Glycogen is a multibranched polysaccharide of glucose that serves as a form of energy storage in animals, fungi, and bacteria. The polysaccharide structure represents the main storage form of glucose in the body.
Glycogen functions as one o ...
and can be converted into
UDP-galactose and
UDP-glucuronic acid, which can then be used as substrates by the enzymes that make
polysaccharide
Polysaccharides (), or polycarbohydrates, are the most abundant carbohydrates found in food. They are long chain polymeric carbohydrates composed of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic linkages. This carbohydrate can react with wa ...
s containing
galactose and
glucuronic acid
Glucuronic acid (from Greek γλεῦκος "''wine, must''" and οὖρον "''urine''") is a uronic acid that was first isolated from urine (hence the name). It is found in many gums such as gum arabic (c. 18%), xanthan, and kombucha tea and ...
.
UDP-glucose can also be used as a precursor of sucrose,
lipopolysaccharides and
glycosphingolipids.
Components
UDP-glucose consists of the
pyrophosphate group,
ribose,
glucose, and
uracil.
See also
*
DNA
*
Nucleoside
*
Nucleotide
*
Oligonucleotide
*
RNA
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydra ...
*
TDP-glucose
*
Uracil
*
Uridine diphosphate
References
{{Purinergics
Nucleotides
Coenzymes