This document discusses nucleotides and their importance. Nucleotides serve as the principal donors and acceptors of phosphoryl groups in cellular metabolism and are the energy currency. They are also structural components of cofactors like vitamins. Nucleotides constitute nucleic acids DNA and RNA. Synthetic nucleotide analogs are used in chemotherapy to treat cancer and hyperuricemia. Nucleotides have diverse physiological functions and absorb ultraviolet light. They are polyfunctional acids and nucleoside triphosphates have high group transfer potential.

1. Department of Biochemistry, KMC, Duwakot, Nepal
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4, 2016
Rajesh Chaudhary
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2. Thursday, February
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3. Why do we need to study nucleotides?
Principal acceptor and donor of phosphoryl group in
cellular metabolism.
Energy currency in metabolic transition.
Structural components of enzyme cofactors in Vitamins.
Constitutes of nucleic acids (DNA & RNA).
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4. Synthetic nucleotide analogs are used in
chemotherapy
Used in treatment of
hyperuricemia and gout by
inhibiting purine biosynthesis and
xanthine oxidase activity. Used in chemotherapy of Cancer
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Why do we need to study nucleotides?

5. Nucleotide serves as diverse physiologic
functions
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Figure A.
Figure B.
Figure C.
cAMP cGMP
S-adenosylmethionine

6. When the phosphate group is absent,
the compound is known as a
nucleoside.
Nucleotides
Characteristics components
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7. Purine and Pyrimidine
Are heterocyclic compounds.
Nucleosides are N-Glycosides.
Nucleotides are phosphorylated nucleosides.
Heterocyclic N-Glycosides exist as Syn and Anti
conformers.
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8. Syn and Anti conformers
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9. Ribonucleosides drawn as Syn conformers
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The C1 of the pentose attached with N1 of the PYRIMIDINE and N9 of Purine.

10. Nucleotides are Phosphorylated Nucleosides
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11. Purine or
Pyrimidine
X = H X = Ribose X = Ribose
phosphate
Adenine Adenosine Adenosine
monophosphate
(AMP)
Guanine Guanosine Guanosine
monophosphate
(GMP)
Cytosine Cytidine Cytidine
monophosphate
(CMP)
Uracil Uridine Uridine
monophosphate
(UMP)
Thymine Thymidine Thymidine
monophosphate
(TMP)
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How pentose sugar is different between ribose and deoxyribose?

14. Key convention
Although DNA and RNA have two distinctions –
different pentose and presence of Uracil in RNA and
Thymine in DNA – it is the pentose that defines the
identity of a nucleic acid.
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— Lehninger’s Principles of Biochemistry

15. Modification of polynucleotides can generate additional
structures.
Nucleotides are polyfunctional acids.
Nucleotides absorb ultraviolet light.
Nucleotides serve diverse physiologic functions.
Nucleoside triphosphate have high-group transfer potential.
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Synthetic nucleotide analogs are used in chemotherapy.
Nonhydrolyzable Nucleoside Triphosphate analogs serve as
research tools.
DNA and RNA are polynucleotides
Polynucleotides are directional macromolecules

17. Polynucleotide are directional molecules
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Phosphodiester bonds link the 3’ 5’-carbons of adjacent monomers.
Primary structure
More compact notification

18. Modification of Polynucleotides can generate
additional structures
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Bacterial and Human
DNA
Bacterial and
Viral nucleic acid
… of mammalian mRNA
that function in
oligonucleotide recognition
and in regulation of half-
lives of RNAs.

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