The pentose phosphate pathway (also called the phosphogluconate pathway and the hexose monophosphate shunt and the HMP Shunt) is a metabolic pathway parallel to glycolysis. It generates NADPH and pentoses (5-carbon sugars) as well as ribose 5-phosphate, a precursor for the synthesis of nucleotides.

What is the main function of the pentose phosphate pathway?

The pentose phosphate pathway meets the need of all organisms for a source of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) to use in reductive biosynthesis, such as fatty acid, cholesterol, neurotransmitter, and nucleotide biosynthesis, and synthesizes five-carbon sugars (Figure 1).

Why is the pentose phosphate pathway?

Pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) plays a critical role in regulating cancer cell growth by supplying cells with not only ribose-5-phosphate but also NADPH for detoxification of intracellular ROS, reductive biosynthesis, and ribose biogenesis.