Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP; or alternatively, dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMADP); also isoprenyl pyrophosphate) is an isoprenoid precursor. It is a product of both the

mevalonate pathway The mevalonate pathway, also known as the isoprenoid pathway or HMG-CoA reductase pathway is an essential metabolic pathway present in eukaryotes, archaea, and some bacteria. The pathway produces two five-carbon building blocks called isopentenyl ...

and the MEP pathway of isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis. It is an isomer of

isopentenyl pyrophosphate 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 i ...

(IPP) and exists in virtually all life forms. 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 electro ...

catalyzes isomerization between DMAPP and IPP. In the mevalonate pathway, DMAPP is synthesised from

mevalonic acid Mevalonic acid (MVA) is a key organic compound in biochemistry; the name is a contraction of dihydroxymethylvalerolactone. The carboxylate anion of mevalonic acid, which is the predominant form in biological environments, is known as ''mevalonat ...

. In contrast, DMAPP is synthesised from

HMBPP (''E'')-4-Hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP or HMB-PP) is an intermediate of the non-mevalonate pathway, MEP pathway (non-mevalonate pathway) of isoprenoid biosynthesis. The enzyme 4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate synth ...

in the

MEP pathway The non-mevalonate pathway—also appearing as the mevalonate-independent pathway and the 2-''C''-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate/1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (MEP/DOXP) pathway—is an alternative metabolic pathway for the biosynthesis of the iso ...

. At present, it is believed that there is crossover between the two pathways in organisms that use both pathways to create

terpene Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n ≥ 2. Terpenes are major biosynthetic building blocks. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predomi ...

s and

terpenoid The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic compound, organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeabl ...

s, such as in plants, and that DMAPP is the crossover product. Mevalonate pathway

References

External links

Pyrophosphate esters Hemiterpenes {{biochem-stub