carbamoyl phosphate synthetase

enzyme

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 22, 2026

Quick Summary

Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase is an enzyme involved in the synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. This process is crucial for building blocks of RNA and DNA. Carbamoyl phosphate itself is formed from carbon dioxide, ATP, and ammonia. Aspartate and carbamoyl phosphate then combine to form N-carbamoylaspartate, a step in the pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway. This pathway is regulated, with end-product inhibition being a key control mechanism where the final product of a pathway can inhibit an enzyme earlier in the same pathway. This regulation ensures that metabolic pathways operate efficiently and are coordinated within the cell.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

metabolism
Disposal of nitrogen
The reaction is catalyzed by carbamoyl phosphate synthetase. The carbamoyl moiety of carbamoyl phosphate (NH₂CO―) is transferred to ornithine, an amino acid, in a reaction catalyzed by ornithine transcarbamoylase; the products are citrulline and inorganic phosphate [31]. Citrulline and aspartate formed from amino acids via step [26b] react to form…
Read More
The reaction is catalyzed by carbamoyl phosphate synthetase. The carbamoyl moiety of carbamoyl phosphate (NH₂CO―) is transferred to ornithine, an amino acid, in a reaction catalyzed by ornithine transcarbamoylase; the products are citrulline and inorganic phosphate [31]. Citrulline and aspartate formed from amino acids via step [26b] react to form…
Read More