Glucose-6-phosphate (G6P)

Glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) is a central carbohydrate metabolite that occupies a critical junction in cellular metabolism, connecting glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), gluconeogenesis, and glycogen synthesis. It is primarily produced by the phosphorylation of glucose by hexokinase or glucokinase, a reaction that effectively traps the sugar within the cell due to the negative charge of the phosphate group. In the pentose phosphate pathway, G6P serves as the substrate for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), generating NADPH for antioxidant defense and ribose-5-phosphate for nucleotide biosynthesis. While G6P itself is a metabolite and not a traditional therapeutic target like an enzyme or receptor, the proteins that regulate its flux—such as G6PD and glucose-6-phosphatase—are major targets in oncology and metabolic disease research. Dysregulation of G6P levels is a hallmark of the Warburg effect in cancer cells and is central to the pathology of various glycogen storage diseases.

Other names

D-Glucose 6-phosphateRobison esterG-6-PGlucose 6-phosphate

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