Question:

Which is the first purine nucleotide synthesized in purine biosynthesis?

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The ring is assembled on ribose; the first complete purine nucleotide carries hypoxanthine.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
  • AMP
  • GMP
  • IMP
  • UMP
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: In de novo purine biosynthesis the purine ring is built up step by step on a ribose-5-phosphate backbone (derived from the pentose phosphate pathway), which is first activated to PRPP.

Step 2: The end product of this assembly is inosine monophosphate (IMP), whose base is hypoxanthine. IMP is therefore the first complete purine nucleotide formed.

Step 3: IMP is the common precursor: it is then converted into AMP (via adenylosuccinate) and into GMP (via xanthosine monophosphate). So AMP and GMP form after IMP and cannot be the first.

Step 4: UMP is wrong because it is a pyrimidine nucleotide, not a purine, and so does not belong to the purine pathway at all.
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