Uridine diphosphate glucose

Uridine diphosphate glucose (uracil-diphosphate glucose, UDP-glucose) is a nucleotide sugar. It is involved in glycosyltransferase reactions in metabolism.

Functions
It is used in nucleotide sugars metabolism as an activated form of glucose as a substrate for enzymes called glucosyltransferases.

It is a precursor of glycogen and can be converted into UDP-galactose and UDP-glucuronic acid, which can then be used as substrates by the enzymes that make polysaccharides containing galactose and glucuronic acid.

UDP-glucose can also be used as a precursor of sucrose lipopolysaccharides, and glycosphingolipids.

Components
UDP-glucose consists of the pyrophosphate group, the pentose sugar ribose, glucose, and the nucleobase uracil.