Which of the following metabolic pathway in carbohydrate metabolism is required for synthesis of nucleic acids?
HMP is an alternative route for the oxidation of glucose (beside glycolysis). It is also called as "pentose phosphate pathway", "Dickens - Horecker pathway", "Shunt pathway" or "phosphogluconate oxidative pathway". HMP shunt is required for provision of reduced NADPH and fiver-carbon sugars e.g. ribose (Pentose phosphates) for nucleic acid synthesis.Normally, 90% of glucose is oxidized by glycolysis and 10% is oxidized by HMP shunt. However, in liver and RBCs HMP shunt accounts for oxidation of 30% glucose.HMP shunt occurs in the cytosol. It is highly active in liver, adipose tissue, adrenal coex, lens, cornea, lactating (but not the nonlactating) mammary gland, Gonads (testis, ovary) and erythrocytes. Activity of this pathway is minimal in muscle and brain, where almost all of the glucose is degraded by glycolysis.
Gluconeogenesis
Glycolysis
HMP shunt
Glycogenesis