tetrahydrofolate
Last reviewed 01/2018
Tetrahydrofolate is the main active metabolite of dietary folate. It is vital as a coenzyme in reactions involving transfers of single carbon groups.
Examples of pathways in which tetrahydrofolate has a role include:
- purine synthesis
- pyrimidine synthesis
- amino acid conversions:
- histidine to glutamic acid
- homocysteine to methionine
- serine to glycine
As nucleic and amino acid synthesis is affected by a deficiency of tetrahydrofolate, actively dividing and growing cells tend to be the first affected.