Uridine monophosphate, also known as 5'-uridylic acid and abbreviated UMP, is a nucleotide that is found in RNA. It is an ester of phosphoric acid with the nucleoside uridine. UMP consists of the phosphate group, the pentose sugar ribose, and the nucleobase uracil. Another common shorthand for the molecule is uridylate - the deprotonated form of the molecule, which is predominant in aqueous solution.

Biosynthesis

Uridine monophosphate is formed from orotidylic acid (orotidine 5'-monophosphate) in a decarboxylation reaction catalyzed by the enzyme orotidylate decarboxylase. Uncatalyzed, the decarboxylation reaction is extremely slow (estimated to occur on average one time per 78 million years). Adequately catalyzed, the reaction takes place once per second, an increase of 10¹⁷-fold. ^[1]

In humans, the orotidylate decarboxylase function is carried out by the protein UMP synthase. ^[2] Defective UMP synthase can result in orotic aciduria, a metabolic disorder.

Effects on Animal Intelligence

In a recent study, gerbils fed supplements of uridine monophosphate, choline, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were found to have significantly improved performance in running mazes over those not fed the supplements, implying an increase in cognitive function.^[3]

References

See also

• Nucleoside
• Nucleotide
• DNA
• RNA
• Oligonucleotide
• Pyrimidine biosynthesis

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