Definition
A nucleotide is a phosphorylated nucleoside. Ribonucleosides may be phosphorylated via the oxygen atoms found at C2, C3, or C5 of the ribose ring. Ribonucleotides have one, two, or three phosphate groups attached to the ribose sugar. In some ribonucleosides, a phosphorus group is bound to two oxygen atoms of the ribose ring, yielding a cyclic nucleotide. Some important examples of these include cyclic 3′,5′ adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), an important cellular signaling molecule, and the 2′,3′ cyclic nucleotides which may be formed during the nonenzymatic hydrolysis of polyribonucleotides. Ribonucleotides are incorporated into nucleic acids as their triphosphates, with the liberation of pyrophosphate during polymerization. An extremely important energy-carrying ribonucleotide is adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
See Also
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this entry
Cite this entry
Cleaves, H.J.(. (2015). Ribonucleotide. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1372
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1372
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-44184-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-44185-5
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics