In: Biology
What is the difference, if any, between nucleotide salvage pathways and nucleotide catabolism? Which pathway do dietary nucleotides follow?
A salvage pathway is an anabolic pathway in which nucleotides (purine and pyrimidine) are synthesized from intermediates in their degradative pathway where nucleotide catabolism is the degradative pathway.
Dietary nucleotides follow the nucleotide catabolism pathway.
Brief catabolism:
Extracellular hydrolysis of ingested nucleic acids occurs through the concerted actions of endonucleases, phosphodiesterases, and nucleoside phosphorylases. Endonucleases degrade DNA and RNA at internal sites leading to the production of oligonucleotides. Oligonucleotides are further digested by phosphodiesterases that act from the ends inward yielding free nucleosides. The bases are hydrolyzed from nucleosides by the action of phosphorylases that yield ribose-1-phosphate and free nucleobases. If the nucleosides and/or bases are not re-utilized the purine bases are further degraded to uric acid and the pyrimidines to β-aminoiosobutyrate, NH3 and CO2.