Farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), also known as farnesyl diphosphate (FDP), is the precursor to all

sesquiterpene Sesquiterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of three isoprene units and often have the molecular formula C15H24. Like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes may be cyclic or contain rings, including many combinations. Biochemical modifications s ...

s, which comprises thousands of compounds. These include all

s as well as

sterols A sterol is any organic compound with a Skeletal formula, skeleton closely related to Cholestanol, cholestan-3-ol. The simplest sterol is gonan-3-ol, which has a formula of , and is derived from that of gonane by replacement of a hydrogen atom on ...

and

carotenoids Carotenoids () are yellow, orange, and red organic compound, organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, archaea, and Fungus, fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips ...

. It is also used in the synthesis of

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

(part of the electron transport chain), as well as dehydrodolichol diphosphate (a precursor of dolichol, which transports proteins to the ER lumen for ''N''-glycosylation).

Biosynthesis

Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (a prenyl transferase) catalyzes sequential condensation reactions of dimethylallyl pyrophosphate with 2 units of 3-isopentenyl pyrophosphate to form farnesyl pyrophosphate: : FarnesolPPbiosyn

Pharmacology

The above reactions are inhibited by

bisphosphonate Bisphosphonates are a class of drugs that prevent the loss of bone density, used to treat osteoporosis and similar diseases. They are the most commonly prescribed to treat osteoporosis. Evidence shows that they reduce the risk of fracture in ...

s (used for

osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to more porous bone, and consequent increase in Bone fracture, fracture risk. It is the most common reason f ...

). Farnesyl pyrophosphate is a selective agonist of TRPV3.

Related compounds

* Farnesene * Farnesol * Geranyl pyrophosphate *

Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of diterpenes and diterpenoids. It is also the precursor to carotenoids, gibberellins, tocopherols, and chlorophylls. It is also a precursor to geranylgeranylated proteins, whic ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farnesyl Pyrophosphate Pyrophosphate esters Sesquiterpenes