10-Formyltetrahydrofolate

10-Formyltetrahydrofolate
Identifiers
CAS number 2800-34-2
PubChem 10
ChemSpider 9 Y
MeSH 10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate
Jmol-3D images Image 1
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Properties
Molecular formula C20H23N7O7
Molar mass 473.44 g/mol
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Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

10-Formyltetrahydrofolate (10-CHO-THF) is form of tetrahydrofolate that acts as a donor of formyl groups in anabolism. In these reactions 10-CHO-THF is used as a substrate in formyltransferase reactions. This is important in purine biosynthesis, where 10-CHO-THF is a substrate for phosphoribosylaminoimidazolecarboxamide formyltransferase, as well as in the formylation of the methionyl initiator tRNA (fMet-tRNA), when 10-CHO-THF is a substrate for methionyl-tRNA formyltransferase.

Biosynthesis

10-CHO-THF is produced either by the enzyme methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase via the reaction

5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate + H2O \rightleftharpoons 10-formyltetrahydrofolate

and by the enzyme formate-tetrahydrofolate ligase via the reaction

ATP + formate + tetrahydrofolate \rightleftharpoons ADP + phosphate + 10-formyltetrahydrofolate

It can be converted back into tetrahydrofolate (THF) by formyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase or THF and formate by formyltetrahydrofolate deformylase.