Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 17, 2026

Uridine diphosphate glucuronic acid

UDP-glucuronic acid is a sugar used in the creation of polysaccharides and is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of ascorbic acid. It is central to the glucuronidation reaction, in which waste molecules in the body, such as heme, are made more hydrophilic to facilitate their excretion.

Last revised
Jul 17, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
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Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Uridine diphosphate glucuronic acid
source ↗
Names
IUPAC name
3-[(5′-Deoxyuridin-5′-yl)oxy]-1,3-dihydroxy-1,3-dioxo-1λ5,3λ5-diphosphoxan-1-yl α-D-glucopyranosiduronic acid
Systematic IUPAC name
(2S,3S,4S,5R,6R)-6-[(3-{[(2R,3S,4R,5R)-5-(2,4-Dioxo-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-1(2H)-yl)-3,4-dihydroxyoxolan-2-yl]methoxy}-1,3-dihydroxy-1,3-dioxo-1λ5,3λ5-diphosphoxan-1-yl)oxy]-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChemSpider
MeSH UDP+glucuronic+acid
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C9H12N2O6.C6H12O13P2/c12-3-4-6(14)7(15)8(17-4)11-2-1-5(13)10-9(11)16;7-1-2(18-20(12,13)14)5(19-21(15,16)17)3(8)4(9)6(10)11/h1-2,4,6-8,12,14-15H,3H2,(H,10,13,16);1-5,8-9H,(H,10,11)(H2,12,13,14)(H2,15,16,17)/p-4/t4-,6-,7-,8-;2-,3+,4-,5+/m10/s1 checkY
    Key: GIFKDHYZEJQSDD-BZYIUNRFSA-J checkY
  • InChI=1/C9H12N2O6.C6H12O13P2/c12-3-4-6(14)7(15)8(17-4)11-2-1-5(13)10-9(11)16;7-1-2(18-20(12,13)14)5(19-21(15,16)17)3(8)4(9)6(10)11/h1-2,4,6-8,12,14-15H,3H2,(H,10,13,16);1-5,8-9H,(H,10,11)(H2,12,13,14)(H2,15,16,17)/p-4/t4-,6-,7-,8-;2-,3+,4-,5+/m10/s1
    Key: GIFKDHYZEJQSDD-DNQFPBLIBB
  • O[C@@H]1[C@@H](O)[C@H](O[C@@H]([C@H]1O)C(O)=O)O[P](O)(=O)O[P](O)(=O)OC[C@H]2O[C@H]([C@H](O)[C@@H]2O)[N]3C=C[C](=O)[NH][C]3=O
Properties
C15H22N2O18P2
Molar mass 580.285
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
☒N verify (what is checkY☒N ?)

UDP-glucuronic acid is a sugar used in the creation of polysaccharides and is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of ascorbic acid (except in primates and guinea pigs). It is central to the glucuronidation reaction, in which waste molecules in the body, such as heme, are made more hydrophilic to facilitate their excretion.

It is made from UDP-glucose by UDP-glucose 6-dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.22) using NAD+ as a cofactor. It is the source of the glucuronosyl group in glucuronosyltransferase reactions.12

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Bontemps Y, Vuillermoz B, Antonicelli F, Perreau C, Danan JL, Maquart FX, Wegrowski Y (Jun 2003). "Specific protein-1 is a universal regulator of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase expression: its positive involvement in transforming growth factor-beta signaling and inhibition in hypoxia". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 278 (24): 21566–75. doi:10.1074/jbc.M209366200. PMID 12682078.
  2. Sommer BJ, Barycki JJ, Simpson MA (May 2004). "Characterization of human UDP-glucose dehydrogenase. CYS-276 is required for the second of two successive oxidations". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 279 (22): 23590–6. doi:10.1074/jbc.M401928200. PMID 15044486.