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Adenosine triphosphate and thiamine cross paths

Nature Chemical Biology volume 3, pages 202–203 (2007)Cite this article

Just when we thought that all of the interesting biochemical cofactors have been identified, a new metabolite consisting of thiamine and ATP has been isolated from a number of organisms.

The history of the role of thiamine and its phosphates in physiology is at least 80 years old, with the mono- (ThMP), di- (ThDP) and triphosphates (ThTP) of thiamin frequently referenced2. Whereas the diphosphate ThDP has well-known coenzyme function as an electrophilic covalent catalyst both in the decarboxylation of 2-oxo acids and in carboligation and lyase-type reactions (reminiscent of benzoin condensations)3,4, the function of ThMP and ThTP is less clear. The fact that enzymes exist to interconvert these various forms has been reported for many years, and ThTP has long been suspected of having functions in the nervous system2,4.

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Figure 1: Possible metabolic fates of AThTP.

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  1. Frank Jordan is in the Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 73 Warren Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102, USA. frjordan@newark.rutgers.edu,

    Frank Jordan

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Jordan, F. Adenosine triphosphate and thiamine cross paths. Nat Chem Biol 3, 202–203 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio0407-202

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