The shikimate pathway is a biosynthetic sequence that converts phosphoenolpyruvate and erythrose 4-phosphate into chorismate, a branching precursor for aromatic amino acids and additional aromatic metabolites. It operates in plants, fungi, bacteria, and certain other organisms, linking central carbon metabolism to the formation of aromatic structures [1][2]. The canonical pathway comprises seven enzymatic reactions, beginning with the condensation of its two carbon substrates and proceeding through dehydroquinate, dehydroshikimate, shikimate, shikimate 3-phosphate, and 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate before chorismate formation [3][4]. Its reactions include carbon–carbon bond formation, ring formation, dehydration, reduction, phosphorylation, and elimination. Individual catalytic activities may occur in separate proteins or within multifunctional proteins, depending on the organism. Carbon supply, cofactor availability, and feedback regulation connect pathway activity to the metabolic demand for its products and downstream branches [1][3].
- chorismate
- aromatic amino acids
- shikimate
- central carbon metabolism
References
- Sijia Wu; Wenjuan Chen; Sujuan Lu; Hailing Zhang; Lianghong Yin; Metabolic Engineering of Shikimic Acid Biosynthesis Pathway for the Production of Shikimic Acid and Its Branched Products in Microorganisms: Advances and Prospects. Mol. 2022, 27, 4779, 10.3390/molecules27154779.
- Klaus M. Herrmann; Lisa M. Weaver; The Shikimate Pathway. Annu. Rev. Plant Biol. 1999, 50, 473-503, 10.1146/annurev.arplant.50.1.473.
- José E. S. Nunes; Mario A. Duque; Talita F. de Freitas; Luiza Galina; Luis F. S. M. Timmers; Cristiano V. Bizarro; Pablo Machado; Luiz A. Basso; Rodrigo G. Ducati; Mycobacterium tuberculosis Shikimate Pathway Enzymes as Targets for the Rational Design of Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs. Mol. 2020, 25, 1259, 10.3390/molecules25061259.
- Vikram V. Shende; Katherine D. Bauman; Bradley S. Moore; The Shikimate Pathway: Gateway to Metabolic Diversity. Nat. Prod. Rep. 2024, 41, 604-648, 10.1039/d3np00037k.