Cytidine Triphosphate (CTP)

Cytidine triphosphate is a pyrimidine nucleotide. CTP is a substrate in the synthesis of RNA. CTP is a high-energy molecule equal to ATP, but its role in the organism is more specific than that of ATP. CTP is used as the source of energy, and as a coenzyme in metabolic reactions like the synthesis of glycerophospholipids and glycosylation of proteins.

Cytidine is a nucleoside molecule that is formed when cytosine is attached to a ribose ring (also known as a ribofuranose) via a β-N₁-glycosidic bond. Cytidine is a component of RNA.If cytosine is attached to a deoxyribose ring, it is known as a deoxycytidine.Dietary sources of cytidine include foods with high RNA (ribonucleic acid) content, such as organ meats, Brewer's yeast, as well as pyrimide-rich foods such as beer.In humans, dietary cytidine is converted into uridine, which is probably the compound behind cytidine's metabolic effects.