TETRAHYDROFOLATE (THF)
- Metabolically active derivate of folate (B vitamin)
- Folate sources: Vegetables
- THF carries: methyl, methylene, methenyl and formyl group
- THF carries carbons on N5 and/or N10 of its pteridine ring
- Dihydrofolate reductase: Folate --> Dihydrofolate --> Tetrahydrofolate
- 3 major pathways: amino acid synthesis, purine synthesis & thymidine synthesis
One Carbon Metabolism
One Carbon Metabolism: Overview of the Biosynthesis of Small Molecules
Transfer single carbon atoms between molecules in metabolic pathways:
- Nucleotide synthesis (purines and pyrimidines)
- Neurotransmitter synthesis
- Amino acid synthesis
- Epinephrine synthesis
- DNA Methylation