Formula C20H23N7O7 | Molar mass 473.4393 g/mol | |
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10-Formyltetrahydrofolate (10-CHO-THF) is a form of tetrahydrofolate that acts as a donor of formyl groups in anabolism. In these reactions 10-CHO-THF is used as a substrate in formyltransferase reactions. This is important in purine biosynthesis, where 10-CHO-THF is a substrate for phosphoribosylaminoimidazolecarboxamide formyltransferase, as well as in the formylation of the methionyl initiator tRNA (fMet-tRNA), when 10-CHO-THF is a substrate for methionyl-tRNA formyltransferase.
Biosynthesis
10-CHO-THF is produced either by the enzyme methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase via the reaction
or by the enzyme formate-tetrahydrofolate ligase via the reaction
It can be converted back into tetrahydrofolate (THF) by formyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase or THF and formate by formyltetrahydrofolate deformylase.
