Browsing Pathways

Cardiolipin (CL) is an important component of the inner mitochondrial membrane, and it is essential for the optimal function of numerous enzymes that are involved in mitochondrial energy metabolism . Cardiolipin biosynthesis occurs mainly in the mitochondria. All membrane-localized enzymes are coloured dark green in the image. First, dihydroxyacetone phosphate (or glycerone phosphate) from glycolysis is used by the chloroplastic enzyme glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [NAD(+)] to synthesize sn-glycerol 3-phosphate. Second, the mitochondrial enzyme glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase esterifies an acyl-group to the sn-1 position of sn-glycerol 3-phosphate to form 1-acyl-sn-glycerol 3-phosphate (lysophosphatidic acid or LPA). Third, the enzyme 1-acyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase converts LPA into phosphatidic acid (PA or 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol 3-phosphate) by esterifying an acyl-group to the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone. PA is then transferred to the inner mitochondrial membrane to continue cardiolipin synthesis. Fourth, magnesium-dependent phosphatidate cytidylyltransferase catalyzes the conversion of PA into CDP-diacylglycerol. Fifth, CDP-diacylglycerol--glycerol-3-phosphate 3-phosphatidyltransferase synthesizes phosphatidylglycerophosphate (PGP). Sixth, phosphatidylglycerophosphatase and protein-tyrosine phosphatase dephosphorylates PGP to form phosphatidylglycerol (PG). Last, cardiolipin synthase catalyzes the synthesis of cardiolipin by transferring a phosphatidyl group from a second CDP-diacylglycerol to PG. It requires a divalent metal cation cofactor.

Photosynthesis involves the transfer and harvesting of energy from sunlight and the fixation of carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. This process occurs in higher plants, including Arabidopsis thaliana. Oxygenic photosynthesis requires water, which acts as an electron donor molecule. The reactions which involve the trapping of sunlight are known as "light reactions", and result in the production of NADPH, adenosine triphosphate, and molecular oxygen. The "dark reactions" are known as the Calvin cycle, and involve the use of the products of the light reactions to fix carbon dioxide and produce carbohydrates. Photosynthesis begins with photosystem II, located in the thylakoid membrane within chloroplasts, which captures light energy to transfer electrons from water to plastoquinone. This process generates oxygen as well as a proton gradient used to synthesize ATP. The D1/D2 (psbA/psbD) reaction center heterodimer binds P680, the primary electron donor of PSII as well as several subsequent electron acceptors. Next, the cytochrome b6-f complex mediates electron transfer between photosystem II (PSII) and photosystem I (PSI). Plastoquinol shuttles electrons from PSII to cytochrome b6-f complex. Plastocyanin shuttles electrons from cytochrome b6-f complex to PSI. Photosystem I is a plastocyanin-ferredoxin oxidoreductase which uses light energy to transfer an electron from the donor P700 chlorophyll pair to the electron acceptors A0, A1, FX, FA and FB in turn. The function of PSI is to produce the NADPH necessary for the reduction of CO2 in the Calvin-Benson cycle. Finally, the proton gradient allows ATPase to synthesize ATP from ADP. The light-independent Calvin-Benson cycle consist of nine reactions that take place in the chloroplast stroma. Beginning with the enzyme RuBisCO, D-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate is converted into 3-phosphoglyceric acid. It requires magnesium ion as a cofactor. Next, chloroplastic glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of glyceric acid 1,3-biphosphate into D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. Then triose-phosphate isomerase catalyzes the conversion of D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate into dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Next, the enzyme fructose-bisphosphate aldolase catalyzes the conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate into fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. Then fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase catalyzes the conversion of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate into fructose-6-phosphate. It requires magnesium ion as a cofactor. Next, transketolase catalyzes the conversion of fructose-6-phosphate into xylulose 5-phosphate. It requires a divalent metal cation and thiamine diphosphate as cofactors. Then the enzyme ribulose-phosphate 3-epimerase is catalyzes the interconverson of xylulose 5-phosphate and D-ribulose 5-phosphate. Lastly, phosphoribulokinase catalyzes the conversion of D-ribulose 5-phosphate to regenerate D-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate. An alternative pathway intersects the Calvin-Benson cycle providing another route to synthesize D-ribulose 5-phosphate and D-xylulose 5-phosphate, which both feed back into the main cycle, from dihydroxyacetone phosphate. This subpathway begins with the predicted enzyme sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphate aldolase theorized to catalyze the converson of glycerone phosphate and D-erythrose 4-phosphate into sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphate. Next, sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase catalyzes the conversion of sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphate into D-sedoheptulose 7-phosphate. Next, transketolase catalyzes the converson of D-sedoheptulose 7-phosphate into D-ribose 5-phosphate and D-xylulose 5-phosphate (which feeds back into the main cycle). Lastly, ribose-5-phosphate isomerase is the probable enzyme that catalyzes the interconverson of D-ribose 5-phosphate and D-ribulose 5-phosphate. D-ribulose 5-phosphate feeds back into the main cycle.

Choline is a nitrogen-containing, water-soluble nutrient that is incorporated into the headgroups of membrane phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine. Two pathways exist for choline biosynthesis whereby serine becomes choline. Both of these pathways take place in the cytosol. This is the first pathway of choline biosynthesis. First, serine decarboxylase (SDC) uses a proton and a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate cofactor to catalyze the conversion of L-serine to ethanolamine, producing carbon dioxide as a byproduct. Second, ethanolamine kinase, localized to the cell membrane (coloured dark green in the image), uses ATP to catalyze the conversion of ethanolamine to O-phosphoethanolamine. Note that this is only the probable ethanolamine kinase in Arabidopsis thaliana and requires further research to confirm its function. Steps 3, 4, and 5 are catalyzed by phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEAMT). These three sequential N-methylation steps convert phosphoethanolamine to phosphocholine and utilize S-adenosyl-L-methionine as a methyl donor. The intermediates are as follows: O-Phosphoethanolamine, N-methylethanolamine phosphate, and N-dimethylethanolamine phosphate. Sixth, phosphoethanolamine/phosphocholine phosphatase catalyzes the synthesis of choline from phosphocholine. It requires magnesium as a cofactor.

Thio-molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis is a pathway that begins in the mitochondrial matrix and ends in the cytosol by which GTP becomes thio-molybdenum cofactor, the sulfo-form of molybdenum cofactor required by certain plant enzymes. First, the enzyme GTP 3',8-cyclase, located in the mitochondrial matrix, catalyzes the conversion of GTP, S-adenosylmethionine, and a reduced electron acceptor to 3′,8-cH2GTP, L-methionine, 5'-deoxyadenosine, an oxidized electron acceptor, and a hydrogen ion with the help of a [4Fe-4S] cluster cofactor. Second, cyclic pyranopterin monophosphate (cPMP) synthase catalyzes the conversion of 3′,8-cH2GTP to cPMP and pyrophosphate. Next, ABC transporter of the mitochondrion 3 (ATM3) exports cPMP from the mitochondrial matrix into the cytosol where it is acted upon by molybdopterin (MPT) synthase. MPT synthase is a heterotetramer composed of 2 large and 2 small subunits. The two small subunits are thiocarboxylated by molydopterin synthase sulfurtransferase, and each transfers a sulfur to cPMP to generate the dithiolene in molybdopterin and releasing hydrogen ion in the process. The following enzyme in the pathway, molybdenum insertase is a two-domain protein that catalyzes the fourth and fifth reactions. The smaller C-terminal Cnx1G domain functions as a molybdopterin molybdotransferase and activates molybdopterin for molybdenum insertion. The product of this reaction, molybdopterin adenine dinucleotide (MPT-AMP), is then transferred to the larger N-terminal Cnx1E domain which exhibits molybdopterin adenylyltransferase activity and inserts molybdenum into the dithiolene of molybdopterin, creating molybdenum cofactor (Moco). Molybdenum insertase requires a divalent cation (e.g. magnesium) as a cofactor. Lastly, molybdenum cofactor sulfurtransferase uses L-cysteine and a reduced electron acceptor to convert molybdenum cofactor into thio-molybdenum cofactor, producing L-alanine, oxidized electron acceptor, and water as byproducts. It requires pyridoxal 5'-phosphate as a cofactor.

Abscisic acid glucose ester metabolism is a pathway that begins in the chloroplast and enters the cytosol and endoplasmic reticulum body by which violaxanthin becomes abscisic acid glucose ester, synthesizing abscisic acid in the process. Abscisic acid glucose ester synthesis and reformation back to abscisic acid provides a mechanism for precisely controlling abscisic acid concentration (quickly removing and adding abscisic acid when required). First, neoxanthin synthase catalyzes the opening of the violaxanthin epoxide ring to form neoxanthin. Second, a yet unidentified neoxanthin isomerase is theorized to isomerize neoxanthin to 9'-cis-neoxanthin. Third, 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) uses oxygen to cleave 9'-cis-neoxanthin to form xanthoxin and C25-allenic-apo-aldehyde. This enzyme requires Fe2+ as a cofactor. Next, a xanthoxin transporter is theorized to export xanthoxin from the chloroplast into the cytosol to continue abscisic acid biosynthesis, but it has yet to be discovered. Fourth, xanthoxin dehydrogenase, located in the cytosol, catalyzes the conversion of xanthoxin and NAD to abscisic aldehyde, NADH, and a proton with the help of a molybdenum cofactor (MoCo). Fifth, abscisic-aldehyde oxidase converts abscisic aldehyde, water, and oxygen into hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen ion, and abscisic acid. Sixth, abscisic acid glucosyltransferase uses UDP to convert abscisic acid into abscisic acid glucose ester. Abscisic acid glucose ester can then be converted back to abscisic acid via abscisic acid glucose ester beta-glucosidase located in the endoplasmic reticulum body (coloured dark green in the image). Consequently, it is theorized that ABA-GE transporters are required for this enzyme to access its substrates from the cytosol.

The Leloir pathway is a metabolic pathway for the catabolism of D-galactose into D-glucopyranose 6-phosphate named after Luis Federico Leloir . Since galactose cannot be directly used for glycolysis, it needs to be converted into a different form. This pathway starts in the cytosol and finishes in the chloroplast. First, aldose 1-epimerase is a predicted enzyme (coloured orange in the image) that is theorized to catalyze the conversion of beta-D-galactose into alpha-D-galactose. This enzyme has not yet been elucidated for Arabidopsis thaliana. Second, galactokinase catalyzes the conversion of alpha-D-galactose into alpha-D-galactose 1-phosphate. Third, D-galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase is a predicted enzyme theorized to catalyze the reaction whereby alpha-D-galactose 1-phosphate and UDP-glucose is converted into alpha-D-glucopyranose 1-phosphate and UDP-galactose. This enzyme has not yet been elucidated in Arabidopsis thaliana. UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose can be interconverted by the enzyme UDP-glucose 4-epimerase which requires NAD as a cofactor. Alpha-D-glucopyranose 1-phosphate must then be imported into the chloroplast, by a yet not discovered alpha-D-glucopyranose 1-phosphate transporter. Last, phosphoglucomutase uses magnesium ion as a cofactor to convert alpha-D-glucopyranose 1-phosphate into D-glucopyranose 6-phosphate.

Chlorophyll a is the primary form of chlorophyll in plants. Chlorophylls are pigments that give plants their perceived green colour and are essential for photosynthesis, the process by which light energy is converted into chemical energy. Chlorophyll a, in particular, absorbs energy from wavelengths of violet-blue and orange-red light. Two pathways exist for chlorophyll a biosynthesis whereby geranylgeranyl diphosphate and 3,8-divinyl chlorophyllide a becomes chlorophyll a. Both of these pathways take place in the chloroplast. This is the second pathway of chlorophyll a biosynthesis. First, 3,8-divinyl protochlorophyllide a 8-vinyl-reductase converts 3,8-divinyl chlorophyllide into chlorophyllide a. Second, chlorophyll synthetase uses magnesium ion as a cofactor to convert chlorophyllide a and geranylgeranyl diphosphate into geranylgeranyl chlorophyll a. The next three reactions to synthesize chlorophyll a from geranylgeranyl chlorophyll a are catalyzed by the same enzyme, geranylgeranyl dehydrogenase. It converts geranylgeranyl chlorophyll a into dihydrogeranylgeranyl chlorophyll a, dihydrogeranylgeranyl chlorophyll a into tetrahydrogeranylgeranyl chlorophyll a, and tetrahydrogeranylgeranyl chlorophyll a into chlorophyll a.

Butanoate or butyrate is the traditional name for the conjugate base of butanoic acid (also known as butyric acid). Butanoate metabolism includes L-glutamate degradation into the signal molecule GABA followed by subsequent reactions to make further products. Glutamate decarboxylase is an enzyme in the cytosol that catalyzes the conversion of L-glutamate into 4-aminobutanoate (GABA). It requires pyridoxal 5'-phosphate as a cofactor. This is followed by GABA permease, belonging to the APC Family of transport proteins, transporting GABA from the cytosol into the mitochondria matrix. Next, gamma-aminobutyrate transaminase degrades gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) into succinate semialdehyde and uses either pyruvate or glyoxylate as an amino-group acceptor. The pyruvate-dependent activity is reversible while the glyoxylate-dependent activity is irreversible. Afterwards, succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase oxidizes succinate semialdehyde into succinate. A predicted succinate semialdehyde transporter in the mitochondria inner membrane is theorized to export succinate semialdehyde from the mitochondrial matrix into the cytosol. There, glyoxylate/succinic semialdehyde reductase catalyzes the reversible conversion of succinate semialdehyde into 4-hydroxybutanoate. Butanoate metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana also includes reactions involving acetyl-CoA and acetoacetyl-CoA. 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase is a predicted enzyme (coloured orange in the image) in the cytosol that is theorized to catalyze the reversible conversion of 3-hydroxybutanoyl-CoA into acetoacetyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase then catalyzes the reversible conversion of acetoacetyl-CoA into acetyl-CoA. Then, hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase condenses acetyl-CoA with acetoacetyl-CoA to form 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA. This is followed by a predicted 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA transporter localized to the mitochondria inner membrane that is theorized to import 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA into the mitochondrial matrix from the cytosol. Once there, hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA lyase catalyzes the synthesis of acetoacetate and acetyl-CoA from 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA.

Purine nucleotides are eventually degraded to ammonia and carbon dioxide. This pathway follows the degradation of AMP to a urate intermediate in the cytosol via xanthine conversion from hypoxanthine. First, AMP deaminase catalyzes the conversion of AMP is into IMP. Second, the predicted enzyme 5′-nucleotidase (coloured orange in the image) is theorized to convert IMP into inosine. Third, ribonucleoside hydrolase converts inosine into hypoxanthine. Fourth, xanthine dehydrogenase is an enzyme that requires [2Fe-2S] cluster, FAD, and Moco as cofactors for catalyzing two subsequent reaction in the AMP degradation pathway: the conversion of hypoxanthine into xanthine and the conversion of xanthine into urate.

Phosphatidylcholines (PC) are a class of phospholipids that incorporate a phosphocholine headgroup into a diacylglycerol backbone. They are the most abundant phospholipid in eukaryotic cell membranes and has both structural and signalling roles. In eukaryotes, there exist two phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis pathways: the Kennedy pathway and the methylation pathway. The Kennedy pathway begins with the direct phosphorylation of free choline into phosphocholine followed by conversion into CDP-choline and subsequently phosphatidylcholine. It is the major synthesis route in animals. The methylation pathway involves the 3 successive methylations of phosphoethanolamine to form phosphocholine which is then funnelled into the Kennedy pathway to make phosphatidylcholine. In plants, phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis is implemented using a mix between the two pathways. An alternative of the methylation pathway uses phosphatidylethanolamine as a starting compound, but no enzyme has been found in Arabidopsis to catalyze the first methylation to form phosphatidyl-N-methylethanolamine. Many enzymes involved in this pathway are localized to the cell membrane but are not drawn as such for clarity. Instead, they are indicated with a dark green colour and appear to be free floating in the cytosol. The first reaction of the Kennedy pathway involves the membrane-localized enzyme choline/ethanolamine kinase catalyzing the conversion of choline into phosphocholine. Second, choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase catalyzes the conversion of phosphocholine to CDP-choline. Last, choline/ethanolaminephosphotransferase, localized to the cell membrane, catalyzes phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis from CDP-choline. It requires either magnesium or manganese ions as cofactors. Note that phosphatidylcholine can be converted to either phosphocholine by a non-specific phospholipase or converted to choline by phospholipase D. Phosphocholine can also be converted to choline via phosphoethanolamine/phosphocholine phosphatase. The methylation pathway begins with serine decarboxylase catalyzing the biosynthesis of ethanolamine from serine. It requires pyridoxal 5'-phosphate as a cofactor. Next, choline/ethanolamine kinase, localized to the cell membrane, catalyzes the conversion of ethanolamine to phosphoethanolamine. Phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEAMT), located in the cytosol, then catalyzes three sequential N-methylation steps to convert phosphoethanolamine to phosphocholine. PEAMT uses S-adenosyl-L-methionine as a methyl donor. Phosphocholine then enters the Kennedy pathway. Alternatively, in a subpathway parallel to the Kennedy pathway, phosphoethanolamine can be converted into phosphatidylethanolamine. Phosphatidylethanolamine is also synthesized from phosphatidylserine in the endoplasmic reticulum by phosphatidylserine decarboxylase. Note that phosphatidylethanolamine can be converted to either phosphoethanolamine by a non-specific phospholipase or converted to ethanolamine by phospholipase D. The two methylated intermediates N-methylethanolamine phosphate and N-dimethylethanolamine phosphate can also undergo reactions parallel to the Kennedy pathway to form the methylated intermediates of phosphatidylethanolamine (otherwise catalyzed by phosphatidyl-N-methylethanolamine N-methyltransferase, localized to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, to form phosphatidylcholine).