What does one carbon metabolism of folic acid mean?

[sameeralord]

What does that mean. Transfer of 1-carbon unit. What is a 1-carbon unit, are they referring to carbon number 1(according to nomenclature) of the molecule being transferred or a single carbon atom from the molecule is transferred? Can anyone explain. Thanks

 

[chemisttree]

What does that mean. Transfer of 1-carbon unit. What is a 1-carbon unit, are they referring to carbon number 1(according to nomenclature) of the molecule being transferred or a single carbon atom from the molecule is transferred? Can anyone explain. Thanks

The one carbon unit in this case can be methyl, methylene or formate. It adds to the molecule of "folic acid" (actually tetrahydrofolate) and thereafter is donated in various biosynthetic pathways. Formate (a one carbon species) is available from the solution but the methyl is donated by serine, an amino acid. Methylene-substituted tetrahydrofolate is produced from the methyl-substituted tetrahydrofolate by an oxidative process involving NADP⁺.

Formate + tetrahydrofolate ------> formyltetrahydrofolate

Serine + tetrahdyrofolate -------> methylenetetrahydrofolate + glycine

methylenetetrahydrofolate --------> methenyltetrahydrofolate