Chorismic acid, more commonly known as its anionic form chorismate, is an important biochemical intermediate in plants and microorganisms. It is a precursor for:
The name chorismic acid derives from a classical Greek word Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: χωρίζω meaning "to separate",[2] because the compound plays a role as a branch-point in aromatic amino acid biosynthesis.[3]
Shikimate → shikimate-3-phosphate → 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (5-O-(1-carboxyvinyl)-3-phosphoshikimate)
Chorismate synthase is an enzyme that catalyzes the final chemical reaction:
5-O-(1-carboxyvinyl)-3-phosphoshikimate → chorismate + phosphate.
Chorismate is transformed into para-aminobenzoic acid by the enzymes 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase and 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate lyase.
Chorismate lyase is an enzyme that transforms chorismate into 4-hydroxybenzoate and pyruvate. This enzyme catalyses the first step in ubiquinone biosynthesis in Escherichia coli and other Gram-negative bacteria.