Cytidine 5′-triphosphate (CTP)

Product Information

The Catalyst Behind RNA and Membrane Dynamics

Cytidine 5′-triphosphate (CTP) is a nucleotide composed of a cytosine base, a ribose sugar, and three phosphate groups. As one of the four canonical ribonucleoside triphosphates, CTP is indispensable for RNA synthesis and transcript fidelity. Beyond transcription, CTP drives headgroup activation in phospholipid biosynthesis and fuels key glycosylation reactions, anchoring its role at the crossroads of gene expression, membrane assembly, and cellular regulation. In molecular biology, biotechnology, and biomedicine, CTP isn’t just supportive, it is foundational.

Applications in Research and Industry

Molecular Biology & Biotechnology

• Substrate for IVT (T7/SP6) to generate mRNA, gRNAs, and other functional RNAs.
• Powers cell free transcription/translation and ribozyme studies.
• Required for tRNA maturation (two cytidines added by the CCA adding enzyme).
• Suitable for evaluating native CTP vs. cytidine analogs in advanced RNA workflows.

Lipid Biology & Glycobiology

• Supports CDP choline/CDP ethanolamine intermediates in phospholipid production.
• Enables CDP diacylglycerol routes to PI, PG, and cardiolipin.
• Facilitates CMP sialic acid–dependent sialylation of glycoconjugates.

Biomedical Research

• Central to studies of nucleotide biosynthesis, CTP synthase regulation, and cytoophidia dynamics.
• Used in metabolomics and nucleotide pool profiling (e.g., LC–MS, enzyme activity assays).
• Helps probe cell growth, stress responses, and pyrimidine balance.

Diagnostics & Biosensing

• Component of NTP mixes for IVT based assays, CRISPR gRNA production, and RNA standards.
• Employed in enzyme coupled assays for CTP synthase and nucleotidyltransferases; suitable as QC calibrants.

Therapeutics & Cell Therapy

• Core reagent for research grade mRNA manufacturing and RNA therapeutic prototyping.
• Enables screening of CTPS modulators and CTP dependent pathways in oncology and antiviral research.
• Supports interrogation of lipid pathways relevant to delivery systems and membrane active therapies.

CTP underpins transcription, membrane biogenesis, and glycosylation powering modern applications from IVT to RNA therapeutics, diagnostics, and lipid engineering.

Literature

Cytoophidium complexes resonate with cell fates, Y. L. Li, J. L. Liu, 2025, Mol. Life. Sci. Vol. 82:54.

The Impact of Developmental and Metabolic Cues on Cytoophidium Formation, Y. Zhang, J. L. Liu, 2024, J. Mol. Sci. Vol. 25, p. 10058.