Chorismic acid, more commonly known as its

anionic An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conven ...

form chorismate, is an important biochemical intermediate in plants and microorganisms. It is a precursor for: * The aromatic

amino acid Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha am ...

phenylalanine Phenylalanine (symbol Phe or F) is an essential α-amino acid with the formula . It can be viewed as a benzyl group substituted for the methyl group of alanine, or a phenyl group in place of a terminal hydrogen of alanine. This essential amino a ...

tryptophan Tryptophan (symbol Trp or W) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Tryptophan contains an α-amino group, an α- carboxylic acid group, and a side chain indole, making it a polar molecule with a non-polar aromatic ...

, and

tyrosine -Tyrosine or tyrosine (symbol Tyr or Y) or 4-hydroxyphenylalanine is one of the 20 standard amino acids that are used by cells to synthesize proteins. It is a non-essential amino acid with a polar side group. The word "tyrosine" is from the Gr ...

Indole Indole is an aromatic heterocyclic organic compound with the formula C8 H7 N. It has a bicyclic structure, consisting of a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered pyrrole ring. Indole is widely distributed in the natural environmen ...

, indole derivatives and

* 2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) used for

enterobactin Enterobactin (also known as enterochelin) is a high affinity siderophore that acquires iron for microbial systems. It is primarily found in Gram-negative bacteria, such as ''Escherichia coli'' and '' Salmonella typhimurium''. Enterobactin is t ...

biosynthesis * The

plant hormone Plant hormone (or phytohormones) are signal molecules, produced within plants, that occur in extremely low concentrations. Plant hormones control all aspects of plant growth and development, from embryogenesis, the regulation of organ size, pa ...

salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4CO2H. A colorless, bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is a plant hormone, and has been listed by the EPA Toxic Substance ...

* Many

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

s and other aromatic

metabolite In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism. The term is usually used for small molecules. Metabolites have various functions, including fuel, structure, signaling, stimulatory and inhibitory effects on enzymes, c ...

s. *The folate precursor ''para''-aminobenzoate (pABA) * The biosynthesis of

Vitamin K Vitamin K refers to structurally similar, fat-soluble vitamers found in foods and marketed as dietary supplements. The human body requires vitamin K for post-synthesis modification of certain proteins that are required for blood coagulation ...

and

folate Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and ...

in plants and microorganisms. The name chorismic acid derives from a classical Greek word meaning "to separate", because the compound plays a role as a branch-point in aromatic amino acid biosynthesis.{{Cite journal , last1 = Gibson , first1 = F. , title = The elusive branch-point compound of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis , doi = 10.1016/S0968-0004(98)01330-9 , journal = Trends in Biochemical Sciences , volume = 24 , issue = 1 , pages = 36–38 , year = 1999 , pmid = 10087921

Biosynthesis

Shikimate Shikimic acid, more commonly known as its anionic form shikimate, is a cyclohexene, a cyclitol and a cyclohexanecarboxylic acid. It is an important biochemical metabolite in plants and microorganisms. Its name comes from the Japanese flower ''sh ...

→ shikimate-3-phosphate → 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (5-''O''-(1-carboxyvinyl)-3-phosphoshikimate) : Chorismate pathway 1

Chorismate synthase is an enzyme that catalyzes the final chemical reaction: : 5-''O''-(1-carboxyvinyl)-3-phosphoshikimate → chorismate + phosphate. : Chorismate pathway 2

Metabolism

Chorismate is transformed into ''para''-aminobenzoic acid by the enzymes 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase and 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate lyase.

Chorismate lyase The enzyme chorismate lyase () catalyzes the chemical reaction :chorismate \rightleftharpoons 4-hydroxybenzoate + pyruvate : : : : : : This enzyme belongs to the family of lyases, specifically the oxo-acid-lyases, which cleave carbon-carbon bonds. ...

is an enzyme that transforms chorismate into 4-hydroxybenzoate and pyruvate. This enzyme catalyses the first step in

ubiquinone Coenzyme Q, also known as ubiquinone and marketed as CoQ10, is a coenzyme family that is ubiquitous in animals and most bacteria (hence the name ubiquinone). In humans, the most common form is coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinone-10. It is a 1,4-benzoq ...

biosynthesis in ''

Escherichia coli ''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escher ...

'' and other Gram-negative bacteria.

References

External links

Shikimate and chorismate biosynthesis
Cyclohexadienes Dicarboxylic acids Secondary alcohols Ethers

Biosynthesis

Metabolism

See also

References

External links