Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
deoxyuridylic acid
References
Britannica AI Icon

deoxyuridylic acid

chemical compound
Also known as: dUMP
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Deoxyuridylic acid (dUMP) is a precursor in the synthesis of DNA. It is a deoxyribonucleotide, meaning it contains the sugar deoxyribose, unlike ribonucleotides which contain ribose and are building blocks for RNA. In DNA, the pyrimidine base thymine (dTMP) replaces uracil, which is found in RNA. Deoxyuridylic acid is converted to deoxythymidylic acid by accepting a methyl group, a process that requires the vitamin folic acid as a coenzyme. This conversion is essential for DNA synthesis and repair.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. metabolism - Deoxyribonucleotides
  2. uracil
  3. metabolism - Synthesis of DNA

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.