What Is Uridine?
Uridine is a substance having the structure of uracil attached to the ribose ring.
It is a nucleotide and a component of ribonucleic acid (RNA). It is widely found in the biological world in the form of nucleotides. Uridine is administered as a drug to patients with orotic aciduria, while its derivatives are used as raw materials for umami seasonings.
Uses of Uridine
Uridine was used in the development of an RNA vaccine against the novel coronavirus; once in the body, the RNA vaccine acts as RNA inside cells to stimulate acquired immunity.
The RNA that makes up the RNA vaccine is composed of pseudouridine, which replaces the uridine portion of the RNA that occurs naturally in the human body. Pseudouridine is an isomer of uridine.
Approved RNA vaccines include those developed by Moderna and those developed jointly by Biontec and Pfizer.
Properties of Uridine
Uridine is a colorless, long-needled crystal with a melting point of 165°C. It is soluble in water, pyridine, and DMSO.
The absorption maximum wavelength is 262 nm at pH 2. It is not easily hydrolyzed by dilute acids. However, it is hydrolyzed to uracil and furfural by concentrated acids.
Structure of Uridine
Uridine has the structure of a β-N1-glycosidic bond of uracil, one of the bases of DNA, to ribose. The chemical formula is C9H12N2O6 and the molar mass is 244.203.
Uridine has a pyrimidine skeleton. Therefore, it can be synthesized based on pyrimidine. For example, it can be synthesized from 2,6-diethoxypyrimidine and acetobromoribofuranose. It can also be obtained by hydrolysis of ribonucleic acid or enzymatic treatment of uridilic acid.
Other Information on Uridine
1. Physiological Effects of Uridine
It has been reported that the simultaneous administration of ω3 fatty acids with uridine has antidepressant effects in rats. It has also been reported that the simultaneous administration of uridine, ω3 fatty acids, and choline activates synapses and increases protein and phospholipid levels in the rat.
2. Structure of Uridine
Uridine is composed of ribose and uracil. Ribose is a type of monosaccharide. D-ribose is an aldose with a carbon chain length of 5, and its counterpart ketose is ribulose.
3. Compounds Containing Uridine
Compounds containing uridine are known as uridine diphosphate galactose and uridine 5′-diphosphoglucose. These compounds function as coenzymes in the biosynthesis of polysaccharides and glycosides.
4. Related Compounds of Uridine
Deoxyuridine is a compound in which uracil is attached to the deoxyribose ring. It is similar to the chemical structure of uridine, but deoxyuridine does not have a 2′-hydroxy group.