Biomaterial Database

[Human red cell metabolism and its pathophysiology]. 1996

A Hirono, and S Miwa

Okinaka Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

The erythrocyte is a highly differentiated cell which has simple but active metabolic pathways. It lacks a nucleus, mitochondria and ribosomes, while glycolysis, hexose monophosphate pathway and glutathione synthesis maintain a high activity. Glycolysis is the only energy producing pathway crucial for red cell function and survival. The main function of red cell hexose monophosphate pathway is to generate NADPH, which is indispensable for maintaining high levels of a potent antioxidant reduced glutathione. Rapoport-Luebering pathway and pyrimidine 5'-nucleotide system are unique metabolic pathways specific for red cells. The former produces 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and the latter dephosphorylates useless pyrimidine nucleotides derived from the degenerated RNA.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009696	Nucleic Acids	High molecular weight polymers containing a mixture of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides chained together by ribose or deoxyribose linkages.	Nucleic Acid,Acid, Nucleic,Acids, Nucleic
D009711	Nucleotides	The monomeric units from which DNA or RNA polymers are constructed. They consist of a purine or pyrimidine base, a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group. (From King & Stansfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Nucleotide
D010427	Pentose Phosphate Pathway	An oxidative decarboxylation process that converts GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE to D-ribose-5-phosphate via 6-phosphogluconate. The pentose product is used in the biosynthesis of NUCLEIC ACIDS. The generated energy is stored in the form of NADPH. This pathway is prominent in tissues which are active in the synthesis of FATTY ACIDS and STEROIDS.	Hexose Monophosphate Shunt,Pentose Phosphate Shunt,Pentose Shunt,Pentosephosphate Pathway,Pentose-Phosphate Pathway,Pentosephosphate Shunt,Hexose Monophosphate Shunts,Pathway, Pentose Phosphate,Pathway, Pentose-Phosphate,Pathway, Pentosephosphate,Pathways, Pentose Phosphate,Pathways, Pentose-Phosphate,Pathways, Pentosephosphate,Pentose Phosphate Pathways,Pentose Phosphate Shunts,Pentose Shunts,Pentose-Phosphate Pathways,Pentosephosphate Pathways,Pentosephosphate Shunts,Shunt, Hexose Monophosphate,Shunt, Pentose,Shunt, Pentose Phosphate,Shunt, Pentosephosphate,Shunts, Hexose Monophosphate,Shunts, Pentose,Shunts, Pentose Phosphate,Shunts, Pentosephosphate
D004912	Erythrocytes	Red blood cells. Mature erythrocytes are non-nucleated, biconcave disks containing HEMOGLOBIN whose function is to transport OXYGEN.	Blood Cells, Red,Blood Corpuscles, Red,Red Blood Cells,Red Blood Corpuscles,Blood Cell, Red,Blood Corpuscle, Red,Erythrocyte,Red Blood Cell,Red Blood Corpuscle
D006019	Glycolysis	A metabolic process that converts GLUCOSE into two molecules of PYRUVIC ACID through a series of enzymatic reactions. Energy generated by this process is conserved in two molecules of ATP. Glycolysis is the universal catabolic pathway for glucose, free glucose, or glucose derived from complex CARBOHYDRATES, such as GLYCOGEN and STARCH.	Embden-Meyerhof Pathway,Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas Pathway,Embden Meyerhof Parnas Pathway,Embden Meyerhof Pathway,Embden-Meyerhof Pathways,Pathway, Embden-Meyerhof,Pathway, Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas,Pathways, Embden-Meyerhof
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man