title: Isoprene biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis via the methylerythritol phosphate pathway.
abstract: Isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene), an abundant natural product of unknown function in plants, has recently been found to be one of the major volatiles formed by Bacillus subtilis. To understand the metabolic origins of isoprene in B. subtilis, we used (13)C- and (2)H-labeling methods with GC-MS analysis of released isoprene. The results indicate that, in this bacterium, isoprene is not formed by the mevalonate pathway or from catabolism of leucine, but, as in plant systems, it is a product of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway of isoprenoid synthesis. This work supports the idea that B. subtilis could be used as a microbial model for studying the biochemistry of isoprene formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0215, USA.
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Helmig
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fall
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002070:Butadienes / Q000378:metabolism*; D004896:Erythritol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D045782:Hemiterpenes; D010420:Pentanes; D013403:Sugar Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C114232:2-C-methylerythritol 4-phosphate; D002070:Butadienes; D045782:Hemiterpenes; D010420:Pentanes; D013403:Sugar Phosphates; C005059:isoprene; D004896:Erythritol