Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase
Encyclopedia
Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is an enzyme
that is involved in pyrimidine
degradation. It is the initial and rate-limiting step in pyrimidine catabolism. It catalyzes the reduction of uracil
and thymine
. It is also involved in the degradation of the chemotherapeutic drugs 5-fluorouracil and Tegafur-uracil
.
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
that is involved in pyrimidine
Pyrimidine
Pyrimidine is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound similar to benzene and pyridine, containing two nitrogen atoms at positions 1 and 3 of the six-member ring...
degradation. It is the initial and rate-limiting step in pyrimidine catabolism. It catalyzes the reduction of uracil
Uracil
Uracil is one of the four nucleobases in the nucleic acid of RNA that are represented by the letters A, G, C and U. The others are adenine, cytosine, and guanine. In RNA, uracil binds to adenine via two hydrogen bonds. In DNA, the uracil nucleobase is replaced by thymine.Uracil is a common and...
and thymine
Thymine
Thymine is one of the four nucleobases in the nucleic acid of DNA that are represented by the letters G–C–A–T. The others are adenine, guanine, and cytosine. Thymine is also known as 5-methyluracil, a pyrimidine nucleobase. As the name suggests, thymine may be derived by methylation of uracil at...
. It is also involved in the degradation of the chemotherapeutic drugs 5-fluorouracil and Tegafur-uracil
Tegafur-uracil
Tegafur-uracil is a chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of cancer, primarily bowel cancer. It is also called UFT or UFUR.-Development and regulation:...
.