Chorismic acid explained

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]

Biosynthesis

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.

Metabolism

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.

See also

References

  1. Wildermuth MC, Dewdney J, Wu G, Ausubel FM. Isochorismate synthase is required to synthesize salicylic acid for plant defence. Nature . 414 . 6863 . 562–5 . 2001 . 11734859 . 10.1038/35107108. 2001Natur.414..562W.
  2. Book: 0-19-864226-1. A Greek-English Lexicon. Henry George Liddell. Robert Scott. Henry Stuart Jones. Roderick McKenzie. amp. A Greek-English Lexicon.
  3. Gibson . F. . The elusive branch-point compound of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis . 10.1016/S0968-0004(98)01330-9 . Trends in Biochemical Sciences . 24 . 1 . 36–38 . 1999 . 10087921.

External links