UDP-Sugar Biosynthesis and Metabolism in Plant Systems
Summary
UDP-sugar biosynthesis and metabolism underpin the synthesis and remodelling of plant cell walls, glycoproteins and glycolipids. Central to these processes are nucleotide sugars—activated monosaccharide donors such as UDP-glucose, UDP-galactose and UDP-arabinose—that serve as substrates for glycosyltransferases. In plants, UDP-sugars are generated de novo via specific pyrophosphorylases including UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase), as well as through salvage pathways that recycle monosaccharides released during cell-wall remodelling. The dynamic interconversion of different UDP-sugars by nucleotide-sugar interconversion enzymes ensures supply of tailored building blocks for cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and glycan synthesis. Beyond structural roles, UDP-glucose has emerged as a potential signalling molecule influencing growth, stress responses and programmed cell death. Fine-tuned regulation of enzymatic activities by redox status, gene expression and post-translational modifications allows plants to coordinate carbohydrate metabolism with developmental and environmental cues. Advances in omics and biochemical characterisation have revealed the complexity and essential nature of UDP-sugar pathways, offering new opportunities to manipulate biomass accumulation and crop resilience.
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UDP-Sugar Biosynthesis and Metabolism in Plant Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in udp-sugar biosynthesis and metabolism in plant systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
UDP-sugar: A nucleotide-activated monosaccharide that donates sugar moieties for polysaccharide and glycoprotein synthesis.
UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase): An enzyme that catalyses the de novo synthesis of UDP-glucose from glucose-1-phosphate and UTP.
UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase (USPase): An enzyme that converts various sugar-1-phosphates into UDP-sugars during salvage pathways.
Salvage pathway: A metabolic route that recycles free monosaccharides into nucleotide-sugar forms for reuse.
Redox modulation: Regulation of enzyme activity through reversible oxidation–reduction of amino acid residues.
References
- UDP-Glucose: A Potential Signaling Molecule in Plants?. Frontiers in Plant Science (2018).
- Evolution of Plant Nucleotide-Sugar Interconversion Enzymes. PLOS ONE (2011).
- Exploring Redox Modulation of Plant UDP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- Characterization, Expression Profile Analysis, and Functional Prediction of UGP Gene Family in Dendrocalamus brandisii. Plants (2025).
- UDP-Sugar Producing Pyrophosphorylases: Distinct and Essential Enzymes With Overlapping Substrate Specificities, Providing de novo Precursors for Glycosylation Reactions. Frontiers in Plant Science (2019).
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