page_title: Ribose 5-phosphate
section_title: Nucleotide biosynthesis
hierarchical_section_title: Ribose 5-phosphate / Function / Nucleotide biosynthesis
caption_attribution_description: English: R5P activation to PRPP
context_page_description: Ribose 5-phosphate is both a product and an intermediate of the pentose phosphate pathway. The last step of the oxidative reactions in the pentose phosphate pathway is the production of ribulose 5-phosphate. Depending on the body's state, ribulose 5-phosphate can reversibly isomerize to ribose 5-phosphate. Ribulose 5-phosphate can alternatively undergo a series of isomerizations as well as transaldolations and transketolations that result in the production of other pentose phosphates as well as fructose 6-phosphate and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate.
  The enzyme ribose-phosphate diphosphokinase converts ribose-5-phosphate into phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate.
context_section_description: Nucleotides serve as the building blocks for nucleic acids, DNA and RNA. They are composed of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and at least one phosphate group. Nucleotides contain either a purine or a pyrimidine nitrogenous base. All intermediates in purine biosynthesis are constructed on a R5P "scaffold".  R5P also serves as an important precursor to pyrimidine ribonucleotide synthesis.
  During nucleotide biosynthesis, R5P undergoes activation by ribose-phosphate diphosphokinase (PRPS1) to form phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP). Formation of PRPP is essential for both the de novo synthesis of purines and for the purine salvage pathway. The de novo synthesis pathway begins with the activation of R5P to PRPP, which is later catalyzed to become phosphoribosylamine, a nucleotide precursor. During the purine salvage pathway, phosphoribosyltransferases add PRPP to bases. 
  PRPP also plays an important role in pyrimidine ribonucleotide synthesis. During the fifth step of pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis, PRPP covalently links to orotate at the one-position carbon on the ribose unit. The reaction is catalyzed by orotate phosphoriboseyltransferase (PRPP transferase), yielding orotidine monophosphate (OMP).
caption: Activation of ribose 5-phosphate to phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate by ribose-phosphate diphosphokinase.
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