title: The central enzymes of the aspartate family of amino acid biosynthesis.
abstract: The aspartate pathway is responsible for the biosynthesis of lysine, threonine, isoleucine, and methionine in most plants and microorganisms. The absence of this pathway in humans and animals makes the central enzymes potential targets for inhibition, with the aim of developing new herbicides and biocides, and also for enhancement, to improve the nutritional value of crops. Our current state of knowledge of these enzymes is reviewed, including recently determined structural information and newly constructed bifunctional fusion enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, USA. ron.viola@utoledo.edu
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Viola
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001222:Aspartate Kinase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001223:Aspartate-Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006715:Homoserine Dehydrogenase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D006715:Homoserine Dehydrogenase; D001223:Aspartate-Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C021370:homoserine kinase; D001222:Aspartate Kinase