Uronic Acid Pathway

Dr. Howaida Nounou

Biochemistry department
Sciences college

It is
an alternative oxidative pathway for glucose that, like
the pentose phosphate pathway, does not lead to
generation of ATP

It includes oxidation of glucose to

1. Glucuronic acid: which is used in detoxication and
enters in the formation of mucopolysaccharide.
2. Ascorbic acid

It occurs in liver cytoplasm, mainly

 Importance of UDP-Glucuronic acid
UDP Glucuronic acid (active form) is needed in:

conjugation to less polar compounds as bilirubin,

steroids and some drugs making them more water
soluble (detoxicated)

synthesis of glycosaminoglycans
(mucopolysaccharide) as heparin, hyaluronic acid…

In plants and some animals (not Human) glucuronic acid
serves as a precursor of L-ascorbic acid

The uronic acid pathway also provides a mechanism by
which dietary D-xylulose enter the central pathway
 Formation of UDP-glucuronic acid

Glucose 6-phosphate is isomerized to glucose 1-phosphate, which then reacts
with uridine triphosphate (UTP) to form uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPGlc)
in a reaction catalyzed by UDPGlc pyrophosphorylase

UDPGlc is oxidized at carbon 6 by NAD-dependent UDPGlc dehydrogenase in a

two-step reaction to yield UDP-glucuronate

Glucose-6-(P)
Phospho- UDPGlc
Hexokinase
glucomutase pyrophosphorylase

Glucose UDPGlc
dehydrogenase