Browsing Pathways

The pathway of cysteine biosynthesis is a two-step conversion starting from L-serine and yielding L-cysteine. L-serine biosynthesis is shown for context. L-cysteine can also be synthesized from sulfate derivatives. The process through L-serine involves a serine acetyltransferase that produces a O-acetylserine which reacts together with hydrogen sulfide through a cysteine synthase complex in order to produce L-cysteine and acetic acid. Hydrogen sulfide is produced from a sulfate. Sulfate reacts with sulfate adenylyltransferase to produce adenosine phosphosulfate. This compound in turn is phosphorylated through a adenylyl-sulfate kinase into a phosphoadenosine phosphosulfate which in turn reacts with a phosphoadenosine phosphosulfate reductase to produce a sulfite. The sulfite reacts with a sulfite reductase to produce the hydrogen sulfide. This pathway shows the second step of cysteine biosynthesis (at genetic level). Both cysteine synthase isozymes undergo the positive control by the cysteine-responsive transcription factor CysB. Only cysteine synthase A (CysK) forms a complex with serine acetyltransferase and it is the only cysteine synthase that is required for cell viability with cysteine-free medium. Cysteine synthases may also work as the sulfur scavenging systemfor sulfur starvation by taking sulfur off of L-cysteine.

The biosynthesis of threonine starts with oxalacetic acid interacting with an L-glutamic acid through an aspartate aminotransferase resulting in a oxoglutaric acid and an L-aspartic acid. The latter compound is then phosphorylated by an ATP driven Aspartate kinase resulting in an a release of an ADP and an L-aspartyl-4-phosphate. L-aspartyl-4-phosphate then interacts with a hydrogen ion through an NADPH driven aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase resulting in the release of a phosphate, an NADP and a L-aspartate-semialdehyde. The latter compound interacts with a hydrogen ion through a NADPH driven aspartate kinase / homoserine dehydrogenase resulting in the release of an NADP and a L-homoserine. L-homoserine is phosphorylated through an ATP driven homoserine kinase resulting in the release of an ADP, a hydrogen ion and a O-phosphohomoserine. O-phosphohomoserine then interacts with a water molecule and threonine synthase resulting in the release of a phosphate and an L-threonine.

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.

The biosynthesis of threonine starts with oxalacetic acid interacting with an L-glutamic acid through an aspartate aminotransferase resulting in a oxoglutaric acid and an L-aspartic acid. The latter compound is then phosphorylated by an ATP driven Aspartate kinase resulting in an a release of an ADP and an L-aspartyl-4-phosphate. L-aspartyl-4-phosphate then interacts with a hydrogen ion through an NADPH driven aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase resulting in the release of a phosphate, an NADP and a L-aspartate-semialdehyde. The latter compound interacts with a hydrogen ion through a NADPH driven aspartate kinase / homoserine dehydrogenase resulting in the release of an NADP and a L-homoserine. L-homoserine is phosphorylated through an ATP driven homoserine kinase resulting in the release of an ADP, a hydrogen ion and a O-phosphohomoserine. O-phosphohomoserine then interacts with a water molecule and threonine synthase resulting in the release of a phosphate and an L-threonine.

Tyrosine is one of the amino acid used in protein synthesis. The tyrosine biosynthesis pathways is connected with the chorismate biosynthesis pathway. Chorismate biosynthesis produce the chorismate, which can further be converted to prephenate by T-protein. Combined with cofactor, NAD, prephenate has been further converted to 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid by T-protein with generated NADH and carbon dioxide. Tyrosine aminotransferase catalyzes 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid to tyrosine, and also converts glutamic acid to oxoglutaric acid. Tyrosine will be further catalyzed into various molecules such as 2-iminoacetate, p-Cresol, 5'Deoxyadenosine and L-Methionine; or it will be exported from cell via the lysine exporter.

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.

Glycine biosynthesis is dependent on L-serine. L-serine is enters the cell through transporters (serine / threonine:H+ symporter TdcC, serine/threonine: Na symporter , serine:H+ symporter SdaC) and then proceeds through reversible reaction with a tetrahydrofolic acid through a serine hydroxymethyltransferase enzyme in order to produce glycine, 5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate and water. 5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate is a major source of one-carbon units used in other metabolic pathways.

The biosynthesis of threonine starts with oxalacetic acid interacting with an L-glutamic acid through an aspartate aminotransferase resulting in a oxoglutaric acid and an L-aspartic acid. The latter compound is then phosphorylated by an ATP driven Aspartate kinase resulting in an a release of an ADP and an L-aspartyl-4-phosphate. L-aspartyl-4-phosphate then interacts with a hydrogen ion through an NADPH driven aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase resulting in the release of a phosphate, an NADP and a L-aspartate-semialdehyde. The latter compound interacts with a hydrogen ion through a NADPH driven aspartate kinase / homoserine dehydrogenase resulting in the release of an NADP and a L-homoserine. L-homoserine is phosphorylated through an ATP driven homoserine kinase resulting in the release of an ADP, a hydrogen ion and a O-phosphohomoserine. O-phosphohomoserine then interacts with a water molecule and threonine synthase resulting in the release of a phosphate and an L-threonine.