Chorismic acid, more commonly known as its

anionic An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...

form chorismate, is an important biochemical intermediate in plants and microorganisms. It is a precursor for: * The aromatic

amino acid Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although over 500 amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the 22 α-amino acids incorporated into proteins. Only these 22 a ...

phenylalanine Phenylalanine (symbol Phe or F) is an essential α-amino acid with the chemical formula, formula . It can be viewed as a benzyl group substituent, substituted for the methyl group of alanine, or a phenyl group in place of a terminal hydrogen of ...

tryptophan Tryptophan (symbol Trp or W) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Tryptophan contains an α-amino group, an α-carboxylic acid group, and a side chain indole, making it a polar molecule with a non-polar aromat ...

, and

tyrosine -Tyrosine or tyrosine (symbol Tyr or Y) or 4-hydroxyphenylalanine is one of the 20 standard amino acids that are used by cells to synthesize proteins. It is a conditionally essential amino acid with a polar side group. The word "tyrosine" is ...

Indole Indole is an organic compound with the formula . Indole is classified as an aromatic heterocycle. It has a bicyclic structure, consisting of a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered pyrrole ring. Indoles are derivatives of indole ...

, indole derivatives and

* 2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) used for enterobactin biosynthesis * The

plant hormone Plant hormones (or phytohormones) are signal molecules, produced within plants, that occur in extremely low concentrations. Plant hormones control all aspects of plant growth and development, including embryogenesis, the regulation of Organ (anat ...

salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4COOH. A colorless (or white), bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a active metabolite, metabolite of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). It is a plant hormone, and has been lis ...

* Many

alkaloid Alkaloids are a broad class of natural product, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids. Alkaloids are produced by a large varie ...

s and other aromatic

metabolite In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism. The term is usually used for small molecules. Metabolites have various functions, including fuel, structure, signaling, stimulatory and inhibitory effects on enzymes, c ...

s. * The folate precursor ''para''-aminobenzoate (pABA) * The biosynthesis of

vitamin K Vitamin K is a family of structurally similar, fat-soluble vitamers found in foods and marketed as dietary supplements. The human body requires vitamin K for post-translational modification, post-synthesis modification of certain proteins ...

and

folate Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and ...

in plants and microorganisms. The name chorismic acid derives from a classical Greek word meaning "to separate", because the compound plays a role as a branch-point in aromatic amino acid biosynthesis.

Biosynthesis

Shikimate Shikimic acid, more commonly known as its anionic form shikimate, is a cyclohexene, a cyclitol and a cyclohexanecarboxylic acid. It is an important biochemical metabolite in plants and microorganisms. Its name comes from the Japanese flower ''shik ...

→ shikimate-3-phosphate → 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (5-''O''-(1-carboxyvinyl)-3-phosphoshikimate) : Chorismate pathway 1

Chorismate synthase is an enzyme that catalyzes the final chemical reaction: : 5-''O''-(1-carboxyvinyl)-3-phosphoshikimate → chorismate + phosphate. : Chorismate pathway 2

Metabolism

Chorismate is transformed into ''para''-aminobenzoic acid by the enzymes 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase and 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate lyase.

Chorismate lyase The enzyme chorismate lyase () catalysis, catalyzes the first step in ubiquinone biosynthesis, the removal of pyruvate from chorismate, to yield 4-hydroxybenzoate in ''Escherichia coli'' and other Gram-negative bacteria. It belongs to the family of ...

is an enzyme that transforms chorismate into 4-hydroxybenzoate and

pyruvate Pyruvic acid (CH3COCOOH) is the simplest of the alpha-keto acids, with a carboxylic acid and a ketone functional group. Pyruvate, the conjugate base, CH3COCOO−, is an intermediate in several metabolic pathways throughout the cell. Pyruvic ...

. This enzyme catalyses the first step in

ubiquinone Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 ), also known as ubiquinone, is a naturally occurring Cofactor (biochemistry), biochemical cofactor (coenzyme) and an antioxidant produced by the human body. It can also be obtained from dietary sources, such as meat, fish, ...

biosynthesis in ''

Escherichia coli ''Escherichia coli'' ( )Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus '' Escherichia'' that is commonly fo ...

'' and other Gram-negative bacteria.{{cn, date=May 2025

References

External links

Shikimate and chorismate biosynthesis
Cyclohexadienes Dicarboxylic acids Secondary alcohols Ethers

Biosynthesis

Metabolism

See also

References

External links