Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of
diterpenes and di
terpenoids. It is also the precursor to
carotenoids,
gibberellins,
tocopherols, and
chlorophyll
Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to ...
s.
It is also a precursor to
geranylgeranylated proteins, which is its primary use in human cells.
It is formed from
farnesyl pyrophosphate by the addition of an
isoprene unit from
isopentenyl pyrophosphate.
In ''
Drosophila
''Drosophila'' () is a genus of flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or (less frequently) pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many speci ...
'', geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate is synthesised by HMG-CoA encoded by the Columbus gene. Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate is utilised as a chemoattractant for migrating
germ cell
Germ or germs may refer to:
Science
* Germ (microorganism), an informal word for a pathogen
* Germ cell, cell that gives rise to the gametes of an organism that reproduces sexually
* Germ layer, a primary layer of cells that forms during embr ...
s that have traversed the
midgut epithelia. The attractant signal is produced at the
gonad
A gonad, sex gland, or reproductive gland is a mixed gland that produces the gametes and sex hormones of an organism. Female reproductive cells are egg cells, and male reproductive cells are sperm. The male gonad, the testicle, produces sp ...
al precursors, directing the germ cells to these sites, where they will differentiate into eggs and
spermatozoa
A spermatozoon (; also spelled spermatozoön; ; ) is a motile sperm cell, or moving form of the haploid cell that is the male gamete. A spermatozoon joins an ovum to form a zygote. (A zygote is a single cell, with a complete set of chromos ...
(sperm).
Related compounds
*
Farnesyl pyrophosphate
*
Geranylgeraniol
Geranylgeraniol is a diterpenoid alcohol. It is a colorless waxy solid.
Geranylgeraniol is an important intermediate in the biosynthesis of other diterpenes, of vitamins E, and of K. It also used in the post-translational modification known as ...
*
Geranyl pyrophosphate
References
Organophosphates
Diterpenes
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