Cytidine triphosphate explained

Cytidine triphosphate (CTP) is a pyrimidine nucleoside triphosphate. CTP, much like ATP, consists of a ribose sugar, and three phosphate groups. The major difference between the two molecules is the base used, which in CTP is cytosine.

CTP is a substrate in the synthesis of RNA.

CTP is a high-energy molecule similar to ATP, but its role as an energy coupler is limited to a much smaller subset of metabolic reactions.CTP is a coenzyme in metabolic reactions like the synthesis of glycerophospholipids, where it is used for activation and transfer of diacylglycerol and lipid head groups,^[1] and glycosylation of proteins.

CTP acts as an inhibitor of the enzyme aspartate carbamoyltransferase, which is used in pyrimidine biosynthesis.^[2]

See also

• CTP synthase
• Cytidine
• Cytosine
• Pyrimidine biosynthesis

Notes and References

1. Book: Buchanan. Bob B.. Biochemistry & molecular biology of plants. Gruissem. Wilhelm. Jones. Russell L.. American society of plant physiology. 2000. 978-0-943088-39-6. 1st. registration. vanc.
2. Blackburn, G. Michael. Nucleic Acids in Chemistry and Biology. The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2006, p. 119-120.