Isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP, isopentenyl diphosphate, or IDP) is an isoprenoid precursor. IPP is an intermediate in the classical,
HMG-CoA reductase pathway (commonly called the mevalonate pathway) and in the ''non-mevalonate''
MEP pathway of isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis. Isoprenoid precursors such as IPP, and its isomer
DMAPP
Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP; or alternatively, dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMADP); also isoprenyl pyrophosphate) is an isoprenoid precursor. It is a product of both the mevalonate pathway and the MEP pathway of isoprenoid precursor biosynt ...
, are used by organisms in the biosynthesis of
terpene
Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n > 1. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predominantly by plants, particularly conifers. Terpenes ...
s and
terpenoid
The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeably with "terpenes" ...
s.
Biosynthesis
IPP is formed from
acetyl-CoA via the mevalonate pathway (the "upstream" part), and then is
isomerized
In chemistry, isomers are molecules or polyatomic ions with identical molecular formulae – that is, same number of atoms of each element – but distinct arrangements of atoms in space. Isomerism is existence or possibility of isomers.
Is ...
to
dimethylallyl pyrophosphate
Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP; or alternatively, dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMADP); also isoprenyl pyrophosphate) is an isoprenoid precursor. It is a product of both the mevalonate pathway and the MEP pathway of isoprenoid precursor biosynt ...
by the enzyme
isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase
Isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase (, IPP isomerase), also known as Isopentenyl-diphosphate delta isomerase, is an isomerase that catalyzes the conversion of the relatively un-reactive isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) to the more-reactive elec ...
.
IPP can be synthesised via an alternative non-mevalonate pathway of
isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis, the
MEP pathway, where it is formed from
(''E'')-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMB-PP) by the enzyme
HMB-PP reductase
4-Hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate reductase (, ''isopentenyl-diphosphate:NADP+ oxidoreductase'', ''LytB'', ''(E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate reductase'', ''HMBPP reductase'', ''IspH'', ''LytB/IspH'') is an enzyme in the non- ...
(LytB, IspH). The MEP pathway is present in many
bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometr ...
,
apicomplexa
The Apicomplexa (also called Apicomplexia) are a large phylum of parasitic alveolates. Most of them possess a unique form of organelle that comprises a type of non-photosynthetic plastid called an apicoplast, and an apical complex structure. Th ...
n
protozoa such as
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
parasites, and in the
plastids
The plastid (Greek: πλαστός; plastós: formed, molded – plural plastids) is a membrane-bound organelle found in the cells of plants, algae, and some other eukaryotic organisms. They are considered to be intracellular endosymbiotic cyanobac ...
of higher
plants
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclude ...
.
See also
*
Dimethylallyltranstransferase
Dimethylallyltranstransferase (DMATT), also known as farnesylpyrophosphate synthase (FPPS) or as farnesyldiphosphate synthase (FDPS), is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the FDPS gene and catalyzes the transformation of dimethylallylpyr ...
References
{{Terpenoids
Metabolism
Organophosphates
Hemiterpenes