Endogenous substrates are naturally occurring molecules within an organism that serve as reactants or inputs for enzymatic reactions, playing crucial roles in metabolism and cellular function. Understanding these substrates is essential for comprehending how biochemical pathways are regulated and how metabolic disorders can arise when these processes are disrupted.
Orotidine 5'-monophosphate (OMP) is a pyrimidine nucleotide that serves as a key intermediate in the de novo biosynthesis pathway of uridine monophosphate (UMP), which is essential for RNA and DNA synthesis. The enzyme orotidine 5'-phosphate decarboxylase catalyzes the decarboxylation of OMP to UMP, a reaction that is critical for nucleotide metabolism and cellular function.
Eukaryotic Initiation Factors (EIFs) are essential proteins involved in the initiation phase of eukaryotic translation, primarily facilitating the recruitment of ribosomes to mRNA. Disruptions in EIF function can lead to various diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, highlighting their critical role in cellular function and protein synthesis regulation.