The biosynthesis of isoprenoids starts with a D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate interacting with a hydrogen ion through a 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase resulting in a carbon dioxide and 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose. The latter compound then interacts with a hydrogen ion through a NADPH driven 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase resulting in a NADP and a 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate. The latter compound then interacts with a cytidine triphosphate and a hydrogen ion through a 4-diphosphocytidyl-2C-methyl-D-erythritol synthase resulting in a pyrophosphate and a 4-(cytidine 5'-diphospho)-2-C-methyl-D-erythritol. The latter compound is then phosphorylated through an ATP driven 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methylerythritol kinase resulting in a release of an ADP, a hydrogen ion and a 2-phospho-4-(cytidine 5'-diphospho)-2-C-methyl-D-erythritol. The latter compound then interacts with a 2C-methyl-D-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate synthase resulting in the release of a 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-2,4-cyclodiphosphate resulting in the release of a cytidine monophosphate and 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-2,4-cyclodiphosphate. The latter compound then interacts with a reduced flavodoxin through a 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate synthase resulting in the release of a water molecule, a hydrogen ion, an oxidized flavodoxin and a 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate. The compound 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate can interact with an NADPH,a hydrogen ion through a 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate reductase resulting in a NADP, a water molecule and either a Dimethylallylpyrophosphate or a Isopentenyl pyrophosphate. These two last compounds can be are isomers that can be produced through a isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase. Dimethylallylpyrophosphate interacts with the isopentenyl pyrophosphate through a geranyl diphosphate synthase / farnesyl diphosphate synthase resulting in a pyrophosphate and a geranyl--PP. The latter compound interacts with a Isopentenyl pyrophosphate through a geranyl diphosphate synthase / farnesyl diphosphate synthase resulting in the release of a pyrophosphate and a farnesyl pyrophosphate. The latter compound interacts with isopentenyl pyrophosphate either through a undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase resulting in a release of a pyrophosphate and a di-trans,octa-cis-undecaprenyl diphosphate or through a octaprenyl diphosphate synthase resulting in a pyrophosphate and an octaprenyl diphosphate

Secondary Metabolites: Methylerythritol Phosphate and Polyisoprenoid Biosynthesis References