Browsing Pathways

Leucine biosynthesis involves a five-step conversion process starting with the valine precursor 2-keto-isovalerate interacting with acetyl-CoA and water through a 2-isopropylmalate synthase resulting in Coenzyme A, hydrogen Ion and 2-isopropylmalic acid. The latter compound reacts with isopropylmalate isomerase which dehydrates the compound resulting in a Isopropylmaleate. This compound reacts with water through a isopropylmalate isomerase resulting in 3-isopropylmalate. This compound interacts with a NAD-driven D-malate / 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase results in 2-isopropyl-3-oxosuccinate. This compound interacts spontaneously with hydrogen resulting in the release of carbon dioxide and ketoleucine. Ketoleucine interacts in a reversible reaction with L-glutamic acid through a branched-chain amino-acid aminotransferase resulting in Oxoglutaric acid and L-leucine. L-leucine can then be exported outside the cytoplasm through a transporter: L-amino acid efflux transporter. In the final step, ketoleucine can be catalyzed to form L-leucine by branched-chain amino-acid aminotransferase (IlvE) and tyrosine aminotransferase (TryB). L-Glutamic acid can also be transformed into oxoglutaric acid by these two enzymes. Tyrosine aminotransferase can be suppressed by lecuine, and inhibited by 2-keto-isovarlerate and its end product, tyrosine. 2-ketoisocaproate can not be introduced if 2-keto-isovarlerate inhibit TyrB and IlvE is absent.

This pathway shows the biosynthesis of methionine, which is an energy-costly process. Lysine biosynthesis produces L-Aspartate-semialdehyde, which later on is catalyzed to L-homoserine by bifunctional aspartokinase (also named homoserine dehydrogenase) 1 and 2. Homoserine is then activated by O-succinylation to form O-succinyl-L-homoserine via homoserine O-succinyltransferase (metA). Combining with L-cysteine, O-succinyl-L-homoserine form L-cystathionine and succinic acid by cystathionine gamma-synthase (metB). Cleavage of L-cystathionine by cystathionine beta-lyase (metC) or Protein MalY(as ) generates two small molecules: homocysteine and 2-aminoprop-2-enoate. Methionine synthase(MetH) or 5-methyltetrahydropteroyltriglutamate--homocysteine methyltransferase(MetE) will catalyzehomocysteine to form the final product: methionine. In E.coli, MetH can only function with existence of cobalamin (Vitamin B12), which can be available in the guy; without cobalamin, MetE will not be repressed so that it will catalyze the methionine. Methionine can be transported out of cell (into periplasmic space) by leucine efflux transporter.

This pathway shows the biosynthesis of methionine, which is an energy-costly process. Lysine biosynthesis produces L-Aspartate-semialdehyde, which later on is catalyzed to L-homoserine by bifunctional aspartokinase (also named homoserine dehydrogenase) 1 and 2. Homoserine is then activated by O-succinylation to form O-succinyl-L-homoserine via homoserine O-succinyltransferase (metA). Combining with L-cysteine, O-succinyl-L-homoserine form L-cystathionine and succinic acid by cystathionine gamma-synthase (metB). Cleavage of L-cystathionine by cystathionine beta-lyase (metC) or Protein MalY(as ) generates two small molecules: homocysteine and 2-aminoprop-2-enoate. Methionine synthase(MetH) or 5-methyltetrahydropteroyltriglutamate--homocysteine methyltransferase(MetE) will catalyzehomocysteine to form the final product: methionine. In E.coli, MetH can only function with existence of cobalamin (Vitamin B12), which can be available in the guy; without cobalamin, MetE will not be repressed so that it will catalyze the methionine. Methionine can be transported out of cell (into periplasmic space) by leucine efflux transporter.

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.

Gluconeogenesis from L-malic acid starts from the introduction of L-malic acid into cytoplasm either through a C4 dicarboxylate / orotate:H+ symporter or a dicarboxylate transporter (succinic acid antiporter). L-malic acid is then metabolized through 3 possible ways: NAD driven malate dehydrogenase resulting in oxalacetic acid, NADP driven malate dehydrogenase B resulting pyruvic acid or malate dehydrogenase, NAD-requiring resulting in pyruvic acid. Oxalacetic acid is processed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (ATP driven) while pyruvic acid is processed by phosphoenolpyruvate synthetase resulting in phosphoenolpyruvic acid. This compound is dehydrated by enolase resulting in an 2-phosphoglyceric acid which is then isomerized by 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate-independent phosphoglycerate mutase resulting in a 3-phosphoglyceric acid which is phosphorylated by an ATP driven phosphoglycerate kinase resulting in a glyceric acid 1,3-biphosphate. This compound undergoes an NADH driven glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase reaction resulting in a D-Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate which is first isomerized into dihydroxyacetone phosphate through an triosephosphate isomerase. D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and Dihydroxyacetone phosphate react through a fructose biphosphate aldolase protein complex resulting in a fructose 1,6-biphosphate. Fructose 1,6-biphosphateis is metabolized by a fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase resulting in a Beta-D-fructofuranose 6-phosphate which is then isomerized into a Beta-D-glucose 6-phosphate through a glucose-6-phosphate isomerase.

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 fatty acid elongation pathway shows an elongation cycle of an acyl-ACP chain by adding two carbons. Acetoacetyl-acp is produced from interaction of 3-oxoacyl-acp synthase 3 with malonyl-acp and Acetyl-CoA, and then Acetoacetyl-acp produce a 3-oxoacyl acp spontaneously. 3-oxoacyl acp will undergo the cycles of the elongation. The first step is converting the oxoacyl acp into a (3R) 3-hydroxyacyl(acp) through a 3-oxoacyl[acp] reductase.This second step converts the hydroxyacyl into a trans 2 enoyl acp through a protein complex conformed of a hydroxomyristoyl dehydratase and a hydroxydecanoyl dehydratase. The third step can be reached through two different reactions with a enoyl-acp reductase, involving NADPH or NADH. This leads to the production of a 2,3,4-saturated fatty acyl acp. For the final step the 2,3,4 fatty acyl acp is turned into a oxoacyl acp through a 3-oxoacyl acp synthase protein complex. The products of multiple of the elongation cycle are phospholipids, lipoproteins (saturated fatty acids), lauric and other fatty acid-containing compounds.

Chorismate is an intermediate in tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan synthesis and a precursor for folic acid, ubiquinone, enterochelin and menaquinone. Three enzymes catalyze the first step in chorismate biosynthesis. Synthesis may be reduced by feedback inhibition of tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan to the enzymes. The biosynthesis of chorismate starts with D-Erythrose-4-phosphate getting transformed into 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate through a phospho-2-dehydro-3-deoxyheptonate aldolase. This is followed by a 3-dehydroquinate synthase converting the 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate into a 3-dehydroquinate which in turn is conveted to 3-dehydroshikimate through a 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase. At this point 3-dehydroshikimate can be turned into Shikimic acid through 2 different reactions involving Quinate/shikimate dehydrogenase and shikimate dehydrogenase 2. Shikimic acid is phosphorylated by Shikimate kinase 2 into shikimate 3-phosphate. Shikimate 3- phophate and a phosphoenolpyruvic acid are then joined through a 3-phosphoshikimate 1-carboxyvinyltransferase to produce a 5-enoylpyruvyl-shikimate 3-phosphate while releasing a phosphate. This in turn produces our final product Chorismate through a chorismate synthase.

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.