Thymidine: Difference between revisions
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In its composition, deoxythymidine is a [[nucleoside]] composed of [[deoxyribose]] (a pentose [[sugar]]) joined to the [[pyrimidine]] base [[thymine]]. |
In its composition, deoxythymidine is a [[nucleoside]] composed of [[deoxyribose]] (a pentose [[sugar]]) joined to the [[pyrimidine]] base [[thymine]]. |
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Deoxythymidine can be phosphorylated with one, two or three phosphoric acid groups, creating respectively dTMP, dTDP or dTTP ( |
Deoxythymidine can be phosphorylated with one, two or three phosphoric acid groups, creating respectively dTMP, dTDP or dTTP (deoxythymidine mono- di- or triphosphate). |
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It exists in [[solid]] form as small white [[crystals]] or white crystalline [[Powder (substance)|powder]], has a [[molecular weight]] of 242.229 [[unified atomic mass unit|u]], and has a [[melting point]] of 185 [[degrees Celsius|°C]]. The stability of deoxythymidine under [[standard temperature and pressure]] (STP) is very high. |
It exists in [[solid]] form as small white [[crystals]] or white crystalline [[Powder (substance)|powder]], has a [[molecular weight]] of 242.229 [[unified atomic mass unit|u]], and has a [[melting point]] of 185 [[degrees Celsius|°C]]. The stability of deoxythymidine under [[standard temperature and pressure]] (STP) is very high. |
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Revision as of 00:52, 3 November 2010
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| Identifiers | |
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3D model (JSmol)
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.000.065 |
| MeSH | Thymidine |
PubChem CID
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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| Properties | |
| C10H14N2O5 | |
| Molar mass | 242.229 |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Thymidine (more precisely called deoxythymidine; can also be labelled deoxyribosylthymine, and thymine deoxyriboside) is a chemical compound, more precisely a pyrimidine deoxynucleoside. Deoxythymidine is the DNA nucleoside T, which pairs with deoxyadenosine (A) in double-stranded DNA. In cell biology it is used to synchronize the cells in S phase.
Before the boom in thymidine use caused by the need for thymidine for the production of the antiretroviral drug azidothymidine (AZT), much of the world's thymidine production came from herring sperm.[1]
Structure and properties
In its composition, deoxythymidine is a nucleoside composed of deoxyribose (a pentose sugar) joined to the pyrimidine base thymine.
Deoxythymidine can be phosphorylated with one, two or three phosphoric acid groups, creating respectively dTMP, dTDP or dTTP (deoxythymidine mono- di- or triphosphate).
It exists in solid form as small white crystals or white crystalline powder, has a molecular weight of 242.229 u, and has a melting point of 185 °C. The stability of deoxythymidine under standard temperature and pressure (STP) is very high.
Deoxythymidine is non-toxic and as part of one of the four nucleotides in DNA it is a naturally occurring compound that exists in all living organisms and DNA viruses. RNA has uridine (uracil joined to ribose) instead. Uracil is chemically very similar to thymine, the latter being 5-methyluracil. Since thymine nucleotides are precursors of DNA, not RNA, the prefix "deoxy" is often left out, i.e., deoxythymidine is often just called thymidine.
Thymidine is listed as a chemical teratogen.[2]
Modified analogs of thymidine
Iododeoxyuridine is a radiosensitizer and increases the amount of DNA damage received from ionizing radiation.
Azidothymidine (AZT) - used in the treatment of HIV infection. AZT inhibits the process of reverse transcription, a critical step in the viral life cycle.
Tritiated thymidine is commonly used in cell proliferation assays. The thymidine is incorporated into dividing cells and the level of this incorporation, measured using a liquid scintillation counter, is proportional to the amount of cell proliferation.
Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) is another thymidine analog that is often used for the detection of proliferating cells in living tissues.
References
- ^ Makoto Ishii, Hideyuki Shirae, Kenzo Yokozeko, Enzymatic Production of 5-Methyluridine from Purine Nucleosides and Thymine by Erwinia carotovora AJ-2992, Agricultural and Biological Chemistry
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ The following list of chemicals known or believed to be teratogens is drawn primarily from Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, 7th Ed., by N. Irving Sax and Richard J. Lewis.