在嘌呤核苷酸的從頭合成中，IMP是支點代謝物，在支點代謝物處，途徑分化為鳥嘌呤或腺嘌呤核苷酸的合成。在鳥嘌呤核苷酸途徑中，有2種酶參與IMP轉化為GMP，即IMP脫氫酶（IMPd1），它催化IMP氧化成XMP和GMP合成酶，催化XMP向GMP的胺化。[由RefSeq提供，2008年7月]
In the de novo synthesis of purine nucleotides, IMP is the branch point metabolite at which point the pathway diverges to the synthesis of either guanine or adenine nucleotides. In the guanine nucleotide pathway, there are 2 enzymes involved in converting IMP to GMP, namely IMP dehydrogenase (IMPD1), which catalyzes the oxidation of IMP to XMP, and GMP synthetase, which catalyzes the amination of XMP to GMP. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]