Niacin, Nicotinamide, and Flavin Nucleotides

Were nicotinic acid/amide or flavin nucleotides ever part of primary RNA sequence?

Nicotinic acid (also known as niacin or vitamin B3) and its amide form (nicotinamide) as well as flavin nucleotides (like flavin adenine dinucleotide, or FAD, and flavin mononucleotide, or FMN) were not part of the primary RNA sequence.

The primary RNA sequence refers to the order of nucleotides (adenine, guanine, cytosine, uracil) that make up the RNA molecule. These nucleotides are the building blocks of RNA, and they specifically bind according to base-pairing rules: adenine pairs with uracil (or thymine in DNA), and cytosine pairs with guanine

Nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, and flavin nucleotides aren’t naturally occurring nucleotides found in RNA. Instead, they serve different roles in cellular metabolism

Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide are involved in the metabolic pathways that facilitate the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to produce energy. They function as coenzymes (specifically as part of the coenzymes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD+, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, NADP+), playing crucial roles in redox reactions and energy metabolism. They are not incorporated directly into RNA sequences

Flavin nucleotides, such as FAD and FMN, are derived from the vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Like nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, flavin nucleotides also function as coenzymes, participating in various metabolic reactions. They act as electron carriers, involved in redox reactions within the cell, including those occurring in the mitochondria during cellular respiration. Flavin nucleotides are not part of the primary RNA sequence either

In summary, while nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, and flavin nucleotides play essential roles in cellular metabolism and energy production, they are not incorporated into the primary sequence of RNA. The primary RNA sequence consists of adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil nucleotides

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