Which pathway uses glucose 6-phosphate to produce NADPH?

The pathway that utilizes glucose 6-phosphate to produce NADPH is the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway. This pathway is essential for generating NADPH, which is crucial for various biosynthetic reactions and for maintaining the reducing environment within cells.

In the oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway, glucose 6-phosphate is oxidized, leading to the formation of ribulose 5-phosphate and the reduction of NADP+ to NADPH. This process is distinct from glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, which do not directly generate NADPH. While the non-oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway involves interconversion of sugar phosphates, it does not produce NADPH. Thus, the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway plays a critical role in cellular metabolism by providing NADPH for anabolic processes and for counteracting oxidative stress.