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Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Nucleoside Triphosphates - From Synthesis to Biochemical Characterization
Published on: April 3, 2014
[Efficient conversion of cytidine to synthesize cytidine 5{L-End} '-monophosphate based on the ATP regeneration
Caibao Lin1, Beisi Lu1, Fangxu Liu1
1Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microbiology, Ministry of Education, National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microbiology and Fermentation Technology, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China.
Abstract:
Cytidine 5{L-End} '-monophosphate (5{L-End} '-CMP), a fundamental component of RNA and a key intermediate for nucleotide derivatives, has broad applications in the medical, food, and agricultural industries. However, the biosynthesis of 5{L-End} '-CMP faces challenges such as low enzyme catalytic efficiency, low substrate conversion rates, and high production costs. To address these limitations, we first screened and identified a cytidine kinase (MmUCK) with high product tolerance and strong stability. After that, an AMP/ATP regeneration system was introduced to reduce ATP consumption. With cytidine, sodium hexametaphosphate, and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) as substrates, 5{L-End} '-CMP was efficiently synthesized via a one-pot, dual-enzyme biocatalytic system. That is, (76.94±3.26) mmol/L 5{L-End} '-CMP was produced when 100 mmol/L cytidine was used as the substrate. Furthermore, the cytidine deaminase gene (cdd) and the pyrimidine-specific ribonucleoside hydrolase gene (rihC) in the cytidine branch were knocked out, which increased the molar conversion rate to 98.1%. Finally, in a 10 L bioreactor, (563.93±8.84) mmol/L 5{L-End} '-CMP was synthesized after 7 h of enzymatic reaction with 600 mmol/L cytidine, 150 mmol/L sodium hexametaphosphate, and 5 mmol/L AMP as substrates, and a molar conversion rate of 94.2% was achieved. Our study significantly improves catalytic efficiency and conversion rates by using a highly tolerant MmUCK enzyme, constructing an AMP/ATP regeneration system, and knocking out genes related to branch metabolic pathways, providing an economically efficient and feasible route for the industrial biomanufacturing of 5{L-End} '-CMP.
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