What is "pteridine"

n. (context organic compound English) A bicyclic aromatic heterocycle consisting of fused pyrimidine and pyrazine rings

Pteridine is an aromatic chemical compound composed of fused pyrimidine and pyrazine rings. A pteridine is also a group of heterocyclic compounds containing a wide variety of substitutions on this structure. Pterins and flavins are classes of substituted pteridines that have important biological activity.

Pteridine is a precursor in the synthesis of dihydrofolic acid in many microorganisms. Pteridine and 4-aminobenzoic acid convert by the enzyme dihydropteroate synthetase into dihydrofolic acid in the presence of glutamate. The enzyme dihydropteroate synthetase is inhibited by sulfonamide antibiotics.