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How does the pentose phosphate pathway help cells make nucleic acids and fats?

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A biochemical flowchart shows the metabolic pathways for carbohydrate utilization, including glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. The diagram traces the conversion of glucose, fructose, and glycerol through various intermediates, leading to energy production, carbon dioxide release, and biosynthesis of amino acids and porphyrins. Key steps and branches are labeled, with colored boxes highlighting biosynthetic outputs. — Carbohydrate Pathways for the utilization of carbohydrates.

The pentose phosphate pathway, also known as the phosphogluconate pathway, serves two primary functions that are essential for cellular biosynthesis:

Synthesis of Nucleic Acids

The pathway generates pentose sugars (five-carbon sugars) from glucose 6-phosphate. These pentoses serve as the fundamental building blocks for nucleotides, which are the precursors required for the synthesis of RNA and DNA.123

Synthesis of Fats

The pathway provides the necessary reducing power for the biosynthesis of fatty acids and other lipids, such as steroids. During the oxidation of glucose 6-phosphate, the pathway reduces NADP+ to NADPH. This reduced coenzyme acts as a crucial electron donor in the endergonic (energy-requiring) reactions that construct fatty acid chains from acetyl coenzyme A. This function is particularly active in tissues like the liver, adipose tissue, and the mammary gland.124