Editing Nucleoside triphosphate (section)

{{short description|Class of chemical compounds}}

A '''nucleoside triphosphate''' is a [[nucleoside]] containing a [[nitrogenous base]] bound to a 5-carbon sugar (either [[ribose]] or [[deoxyribose]]), with three [[phosphate group]]s bound to the sugar.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://knowgenetics.org/nucleotides-and-bases/|title=Nucleotides and Bases - Genetics Generation|work=Genetics Generation | access-date = 11 November 2017 }}</ref> They are the molecular precursors of both [[DNA]] and [[RNA]], which are chains of [[nucleotide]]s made through the processes of [[DNA replication]] and [[Transcription (biology)|transcription]].<ref name=":8">{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=o0xA2udqufwC&q=nucleic+acid+synthesis&pg=PP1 | title = The Nucleic Acids | vauthors = Chargaff E | date=2012-12-02|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=9780323144773}}</ref> Nucleoside triphosphates also serve as a source of energy for cellular reactions<ref name=Khan-ATP>{{Cite web|url=https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/biomolecules/overview-metabolism/a/overview-of-atp-hydrolysis|title=Overview of ATP Hydrolysis|website=Khan Academy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042725/https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/biomolecules/overview-metabolism/a/overview-of-atp-hydrolysis|archive-date=2017-12-01|access-date=2017-11-11|url-status=dead}}</ref> and are involved in signalling pathways.<ref name=gpcr14047471>{{cite web |title=GPCR |work=Scitable |date=2014 |url=https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/gpcr-14047471/ }}</ref>

Nucleoside triphosphates cannot easily cross the cell membrane, so they are typically synthesized within the cell.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://honey-guide.com/2014/04/09/eating-dna-dietary-nucleotides-in-nutrition/|title=Eating DNA: Dietary Nucleotides in Nutrition|date=2014-04-09|work=The call of the Honeyguide|access-date=11 November 2017}}</ref> Synthesis pathways differ depending on the specific nucleoside triphosphate being made, but given the many important roles of nucleoside triphosphates, synthesis is tightly regulated in all cases.<ref name="Wyngaarden_1976">{{cite journal | vauthors = Wyngaarden JB | title = Regulation of purine biosynthesis and turnover | journal = Advances in Enzyme Regulation | volume = 14 | pages = 25–42 | year = 1976 | pmid = 184697 | doi = 10.1016/0065-2571(76)90006-6 }}</ref> [[Nucleoside analogue]]s may also be used to treat viral infections.<ref name="Galmarini_2001"/> For example, [[Zidovudine|azidothymidine]] (AZT) is a nucleoside analogue used to prevent and treat [[HIV/AIDS]].<ref name=":10">{{Cite news|url=https://www.drugs.com/monograph/zidovudine.html|title=Zidovudine Monograph for Professionals - Drugs.com|work=Drugs.com|access-date= 30 November 2017 }}</ref>