The HMP shunt (Pentose Phosphate Pathway) is a cytoplasmic metabolic mechanism in mammals that functions to generate NADPH and ribulose-5-phosphate from glucose-6-phosphate, diverting flux away from glycolysis. The core principle relies on the specific redox reaction catalyzed by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), which reduces oxidized NADP+ to reduced NADPH within a single regulatory step. This pathway serves as an endogenous source of reductant essential for biosynthetic processes, such as fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis, and for maintaining the cellular glutathione pool required for free radical detoxification.
The HMP shunt (Pentose Phosphate Pathway) is a cytoplasmic metabolic mechanism in mammals that functions to generate NADPH and ribulose-5-phosphate from glucose-6-phosphate, diverting flux away from …