Tetrahydrofolic acid
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| Tetrahydrofolic acid | |
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 29347-89-5 |
| PubChem | 1129 |
| MeSH | 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic+acid |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C19H23N7O6 |
| Molar mass | 445.43 g/mol |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) | |
| Infobox references | |
Tetrahydrofolic acid, or tetrahydrofolate, is a folic acid derivative.
[edit] Metabolism
[edit] Human synthesis
It is produced from dihydrofolic acid by dihydrofolate reductase. This reaction is inhibited by methotrexate.
It is converted into 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate by serine hydroxymethyltransferase.
[edit] Bacterial synthesis
Many bacteria use dihydropteroate synthetase to produce dihydropteroate in bacteria, an enzyme without function in humans. This makes it a useful target for sulfonamide antibiotics, which compete with the PABA precursor.
[edit] Functions
It is a coenzyme in many reactions, especially in the metabolism of amino acids and nucleic acids. It acts as a donor of a group with one carbon atom. It gets this carbon atom by sequestering formaldehyde produced in other processes. A shortage in THF can cause megaloblastic anemia.
Tetrahydrofolic acid is reduced by the drug methotrexate, which is used to impair nucleotide synthesis. This drug is a potent chemotherapy and anti rheumatic.
Tetrahydrofolic acid is involved in the conversion of formiminoglutamic acid to glutamic acid; this may reduce the amount of histidine available for decarboxylation and protein synthesis, and hence the urinary histamine and formiminoglutamic acid may be decreased. [1]
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[edit] References
- ^ HISTAMINE FORMATION IN GUINEA-PIGS, W.DAWSON, D.V.MAUDSLEY, G.B.WEST, May 1965, http://jp.physoc.org/content/181/4/801.full.pdf
