title: Biochemical evidence supporting the presence of the classical mevalonate pathway in the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus.
abstract: The existence of the classical mevalonate (MVA) pathway was examined in the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. The pathway is considered uncommon among archaea because the genes of the orthologues of phosphomevalonate kinase (PMK) and/or diphosphomevalonate decarboxylase (DMD) are absent in the genomes of most archaea. Instead, the modified MVA pathway, which involves isopentenyl phosphate kinase (IPK), has been proposed to exist in the archaea that lack the classical pathway. However, some archaea including S. solfataricus possess the genes of the orthologues of both IPK and all enzymes of the classical pathway. Biochemical characterization using recombinant proteins showed that the orthologues of the enzymes catalyzing the late steps of the classical pathway, i.e. MVA kinase, PMK and DMD, are all active. Moreover, in vitro conversion of the intermediates in the classical and modified pathways by cell-free extract from S. solfataricus indicated that only the classical pathway likely works in the organism.
authors: Department of Applied Molecular Bioscience, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan. hhemmi@agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors: Hiroto
authors: H
authors: Nishimura
authors: Yasuhiro
authors: Y
authors: Azami
authors: Masahito
authors: M
authors: Miyagawa
authors: Chika
authors: C
authors: Hashimoto
authors: Tohru
authors: T
authors: Yoshimura
authors: Hisashi
authors: H
authors: Hemmi
mesh_terms: D008798:Mevalonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D017856:Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor) / Q000378:metabolism; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D048229:Sulfolobus solfataricus / Q000378:metabolism*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013729:Terpenes; D011494:Protein Kinases; C402428:isopentenyl monophosphate kinase; D017856:Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor); C022371:phosphomevalonate kinase; D008798:Mevalonic Acid