Browsing Pathways

Asparagine is an amino acid used in protein synthesis, specifically the biosynthesis of glycoproteins. In E.coli, L-asparagine can be synthesized from L-aspartic acid by either utilizing asparagine synthetase B with L-glutamine or ammonia. Both reactions are driven by ATP however the reaction with ammonia utilizes both asparagine synthetase B and aspartate-ammonia ligase.

Escherichia coli can solely use D-galactonate as a carbon and energy source. The initial step, after the transport of galactonic acid into the cell is the dehydration of D-galactonate to 2-dehydro-3-deoxy-D-galactonate by D-galactonate dehydratase. Subsequent phosphorylation by 2-dehydro-3-deoxygalactonate kinase and aldol cleavage by 2-oxo-3-deoxygalactonate 6-phosphate aldolase produces pyruvate and D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, which enter central metabolism. Galactitol can also be utilized by E. coli K-12 as the sole source of carbon and energy. Each enters the cell via a specific phosphotransferase system, so the first intracellular species is D-galactitol-1-phosphate or D-galactitol-6-phosphate, which are identical. This sugar alcohol phosphate becomes the substrate for a dehydrogenase that oxidizes its 2-alcohol group to a keto group. Galactitol-1-phosphate is dehydrogenated to tagatose-6-phosphate which is then acted on by a kinase and an aldose and eventually is converted to glycolysis intermediates.

Isoleucine biosynthesis begins with L-threonine from the threonine biosynthesis pathway. L-threonine interacts with threonine dehydratase biosynthetic releasing water, a hydrogen ion and (2Z)-2-aminobut-2-enoate. The latter is isomerized into a 2-iminobutanoate which interacts with water and a hydrogen ion spontaneously, resulting in the release of ammonium and 2-ketobutyric acid. 2-ketobutyric acid reacts with pyruvic acid and hydrogen ions through an acetohydroxybutanoate synthase / acetolactate synthase 2 resulting in carbon dioxide and (S)-2-Aceto-2-hydroxybutanoic acid. (S)-2-Aceto-2-hydroxybutanoic acid is reduced by an NADPH driven acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase releasing NADP and acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase. The latter compound is dehydrated by a dihydroxy acid dehydratase resulting in 3-methyl-2-oxovaleric acid. This compound reacts in a reversible reaction with L-glutamic acid through a Branched-chain-amino-acid aminotransferase resulting in oxoglutaric acid and L-isoleucine. L-isoleucine can also be transported into the cytoplasm through two different methods: a branched chain amino acid ABC transporter or a branched chain amino acid transporter BrnQy.

The biosynthesis of L-tryptophan begins with L-glutamine interacting with a chorismate through a anthranilate synthase which results in a L-glutamic acid, a pyruvic acid, a hydrogen ion and a 2-aminobenzoic acid. The aminobenzoic acid interacts with a phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate through an anthranilate synthase component II resulting in a pyrophosphate and a N-(5-phosphoribosyl)-anthranilate. The latter compound is then metabolized by an indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase / phosphoribosylanthranilate isomerase resulting in a 1-(o-carboxyphenylamino)-1-deoxyribulose 5'-phosphate. This compound then interacts with a hydrogen ion through a indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase / phosphoribosylanthranilate isomerase resulting in the release of carbon dioxide, a water molecule and a (1S,2R)-1-C-(indol-3-yl)glycerol 3-phosphate. The latter compound then interacts with a D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and an Indole. The indole interacts with an L-serine through a tryptophan synthase, β subunit dimer resulting in a water molecule and an L-tryptophan. The metabolism of L-tryptophan starts with L-tryptophan being dehydrogenated by a tryptophanase / L-cysteine desulfhydrase resulting in the release of a hydrogen ion, an Indole and a 2-aminoacrylic acid. The latter compound is isomerized into a 2-iminopropanoate. This compound then interacts with a water molecule and a hydrogen ion spontaneously resulting in the release of an Ammonium and a pyruvic acid. The pyruvic acid then interacts with a coenzyme A through a NAD driven pyruvate dehydrogenase complex resulting in the release of a NADH, a carbon dioxide and an Acetyl-CoA

Histidine biosynthesis starts with a product of PRPP biosynthesis pathway, phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate which interacts with a hydrogen ion through an ATP phosphoribosyltransferase resulting in an pyrophosphate and a phosphoribosyl-ATP. The phosphoribosyl-ATP interacts with water through a phosphoribosyl-AMP cyclohydrolase / phosphoribosyl-ATP pyrophosphatase resulting in the release of pyrophosphate, hydrogen ion and a phosphoribosyl-AMP. The same enzyme proceeds to interact with phosphoribosyl-AMP and water resulting in a 1-(5'-Phosphoribosyl)-5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide. The product is then isomerized by a N-(5'-phospho-L-ribosyl-formimino)-5-amino-1-(5'-phosphoribosyl)-4-imidazolecarboxamide isomerase resulting in a PhosphoribosylformiminoAICAR-phosphate, which reacts with L-glutamine through an imidazole glycerol phosphate synthase resulting in a L-glutamic acid, hydrogen ion, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide and a D-erythro-imidazole-glycerol-phosphate. D-erythro-imidazole-glycerol-phosphate reacts with a imidazoleglycerol-phosphate dehydratase / histidinol-phosphatase, dehydrating the compound and resulting in a imidazole acetol-phosphate. Next, imidazole acetol-phosphate reacts with L-glutamic acid through a histidinol-phosphate aminotransferase, releasing oxoglutaric acid and L-histidinol-phosphate. The latter compound interacts with water and a imidazoleglycerol-phosphate dehydratase / histidinol-phosphatase resulting in L-histidinol and phosphate. L-histidinol interacts with a NAD-driven histidinol dehydrogenase resulting in a Histidinal. Histidinal in turn reacts with water in a NAD driven histidinal dehydrogenase resulting in L-Histidine. L-Histidine then represses ATP phosphoribosyltransferase, regulation its own biosynthesis.

Cardiolipin (CL) is an important component of the inner mitochondrial membrane where it constitutes about 20% of the total lipid composition. It is essential for the optimal function of numerous enzymes that are involved in mitochondrial energy metabolism (Wikipedia). Cardiolipin biosynthesis occurs mainly in the mitochondria, but there also exists an alternative synthesis route for CDP-diacylglycerol that takes place in the endoplasmic reticulum. This second route may supplement this pathway. All membrane-localized enzymes are coloured dark green in the image. First, dihydroxyacetone phosphate (or glycerone phosphate) from glycolysis is used by the cytosolic enzyme glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [NAD(+)] to synthesize sn-glycerol 3-phosphate. Second, the mitochondrial outer membrane 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.

Cardiolipin (CL) is an important component of the inner mitochondrial membrane where it constitutes about 20% of the total lipid composition. It is essential for the optimal function of numerous enzymes that are involved in mitochondrial energy metabolism (Wikipedia). Cardiolipin biosynthesis occurs mainly in the mitochondria, but there also exists an alternative synthesis route for CDP-diacylglycerol that takes place in the endoplasmic reticulum. This second route may supplement this pathway. All membrane-localized enzymes are coloured dark green in the image. First, dihydroxyacetone phosphate (or glycerone phosphate) from glycolysis is used by the cytosolic enzyme glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [NAD(+)] to synthesize sn-glycerol 3-phosphate. Second, the mitochondrial outer membrane 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.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) can be biosynthesized from L-aspartic acid. This amino acid reacts with oxygen through an L-aspartate oxidase resulting in a hydrogen ion, hydrogen peroxide and an iminoaspartic acid. The latter compound interacts with dihydroxyacetone phosphate through a quinolinate synthase A, resulting in a phosphate, water, and a quinolic acid. Quinolic acid interacts with phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate and hydrogen ion through a quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase resulting in pyrophosphate, carbon dioxide and nicotinate beta-D-ribonucleotide. The latter is adenylated through an ATP driven nicotinate-mononucleotide adenylyltransferase releasing a pyrophosphate and resulting in a nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide. Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide is processed through an NAD synthetase, NH3-dependent in two different manners. In the first case, Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide interacts with ATP, L-glutamine and water through the enzyme and results in hydrogen ion, AMP, pyrophosphate, L-glutamic acid and NAD. In the second case, Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide interacts with ATP and ammonium through the enzyme resulting in a pyrophosphate, AMP, hydrogen ion and NAD. NAD then proceeds to regulate its own pathway by repressing L-aspartate oxidase. As a general rule, most prokaryotes utilize the aspartate de novo pathway, in which the nicotinate moiety of NAD is synthesized from aspartate , while in eukaryotes, the de novo pathway starts with tryptophan.

The pathway of valine biosynthesis starts with pyruvic acid interacting with a hydrogen ion through a acetolactate synthase / acetohydroxybutanoate synthase or a acetohydroxybutanoate synthase / acetolactate synthase resulting in the release of carbon dioxide and (S)-2-acetolactate. The latter compound then interacts with a hydrogen ion through an NADPH driven acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase resulting in the release of a NADP and an (R) 2,3-dihydroxy-3-methylvalerate. The latter compound is then dehydrated by a dihydroxy acid dehydratase resulting in the release of water and isovaleric acid. Isovaleric acid interacts with an L-glutamic acid through a Valine Transaminase resulting in a oxoglutaric acid and an L-valine. L-valine is then transported into the periplasmic space through a L-valine efflux transporter.

D-allose can be used as source of carbon for E.coli. D-allose is imported into E.coli by D-allose ABC transporter without phosphorylation. Allose-6-phosphate isomerase and allulose-6-phosphate 3-epimerase catalyze the remaining reactions resulting in D-allulose 6 phosphate and Beta-D-fructofuranose 6-phosphate respectively. Once Beta D fructofuranose 6-phosphate is synthesized, it can be used in the glycolysis and pyruvatedehydrogenase pathway.