Isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) is an intermediate in the classical,
HMG-CoA reductase pathwayThe mevalonate pathway or HMG-CoA reductase pathway or mevalonate-dependent route or isoprenoid pathway, is an important cellular metabolic pathway present in all higher eukaryotes and many bacteria...
used by organisms in the biosynthesis of
terpeneTerpenes are a large and varied class of hydrocarbons, produced primarily by a wide variety of plants, particularly conifers, though also by some insects such as termites or swallowtail butterflies, which emit terpenes from their osmeterium....
s and
terpenoidThe terpenoids , sometimes called isoprenoids, are a large and diverse class of naturally-occurring organic chemicals similar to terpenes, derived from five-carbon isoprene units assembled and modified in thousands of ways. Most are multicyclic structures that differ from one another not only in...
s. IPP is formed from
acetyl-CoAAcetyl-CoA is an important molecule in metabolism, used in many biochemical reactions. Its main use is to convey the carbon atoms within the acetyl group to the citric acid cycle to be oxidized for energy production. In chemical structure, acetyl-CoA is the thioester between coenzyme A and acetic...
via
mevalonic acidMevalonic acid is a key organic compound in biochemistry. The anion of mevalonic acid, the predominant form in biological media, is known as mevalonate.-Chemistry:Mevalonic acid is very soluble in water and in polar organic solvents...
. IPP can then be isomerized to
dimethylallyl pyrophosphateDimethylallyl pyrophosphate is an intermediate product of both mevalonic acid pathway and DOXP/MEP pathway. It is an isomer of isopentenyl pyrophosphate and exists in virtually all life forms....
by the enzyme isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase.
IPP can be synthesized via the alternative,
non-mevalonate pathwayThe non-mevalonate pathway or 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate/1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis is an alternative metabolic pathway leading to the formation of isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate that has been elucidated only...
of isoprenoid biosynthesis instead, where it is formed from (
E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMB-PP) by the enzyme HMB-PP reductase (LytB, IspH).
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Isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) is an intermediate in the classical,
HMG-CoA reductase pathwayThe mevalonate pathway or HMG-CoA reductase pathway or mevalonate-dependent route or isoprenoid pathway, is an important cellular metabolic pathway present in all higher eukaryotes and many bacteria...
used by organisms in the biosynthesis of
terpeneTerpenes are a large and varied class of hydrocarbons, produced primarily by a wide variety of plants, particularly conifers, though also by some insects such as termites or swallowtail butterflies, which emit terpenes from their osmeterium....
s and
terpenoidThe terpenoids , sometimes called isoprenoids, are a large and diverse class of naturally-occurring organic chemicals similar to terpenes, derived from five-carbon isoprene units assembled and modified in thousands of ways. Most are multicyclic structures that differ from one another not only in...
s. IPP is formed from
acetyl-CoAAcetyl-CoA is an important molecule in metabolism, used in many biochemical reactions. Its main use is to convey the carbon atoms within the acetyl group to the citric acid cycle to be oxidized for energy production. In chemical structure, acetyl-CoA is the thioester between coenzyme A and acetic...
via
mevalonic acidMevalonic acid is a key organic compound in biochemistry. The anion of mevalonic acid, the predominant form in biological media, is known as mevalonate.-Chemistry:Mevalonic acid is very soluble in water and in polar organic solvents...
. IPP can then be isomerized to
dimethylallyl pyrophosphateDimethylallyl pyrophosphate is an intermediate product of both mevalonic acid pathway and DOXP/MEP pathway. It is an isomer of isopentenyl pyrophosphate and exists in virtually all life forms....
by the enzyme isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase.
IPP can be synthesized via the alternative,
non-mevalonate pathwayThe non-mevalonate pathway or 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate/1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis is an alternative metabolic pathway leading to the formation of isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate that has been elucidated only...
of isoprenoid biosynthesis instead, where it is formed from (
E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMB-PP) by the enzyme HMB-PP reductase (LytB, IspH). The
non-mevalonate pathwayThe non-mevalonate pathway or 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate/1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis is an alternative metabolic pathway leading to the formation of isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate that has been elucidated only...
is utilized by many
bacteriaThe bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
,
apicomplexaThe Apicomplexa are a large group of protists, most of which possess a unique organelle called apicoplast and an apical complex structure involved in penetrating a host's cell. They are unicellular, spore-forming, and exclusively parasites of animals. Motile structures such as flagella or...
n
protozoaProtozoa or Cornelius protozoans Protozoa or Cornelius protozoans Protozoa or Cornelius protozoans (from Greek πρῶτον proton "first" and ζῷα zoa "animals"; singular protozoon; (the word "protozoan" is originally an adjective, used as a noun) are microorganisms classified as unicellular eukaryotes....
such as
malariaMalaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by a eukaryotic protist of the genus Plasmodium. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Each year, there are approximately 350–500 million cases of malaria, killing between one and...
parasites, and the plastids of higher plants.