A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and as signaling molecules. Hundreds of steroids are found in plants, animals and fungi. All steroids are manufactured in cells from the sterols lanosterol (opisthokonts) or cycloartenol (plants). Lanosterol and cycloartenol are derived from the cyclization of the triterpene squalene.
Juvenile hormones (JHs) are a group of acyclic sesquiterpenoids that regulate many aspects of insect physiology. The first discovery of a JH was by Vincent Wigglesworth. JHs regulate development, reproduction, diapause, and polyphenisms. The chemical formula for juvenile hormone is .
Galactokinase is an enzyme (phosphotransferase) that facilitates the phosphorylation of α-D-galactose to galactose 1-phosphate at the expense of one molecule of ATP. Galactokinase catalyzes the second step of the Leloir pathway, a metabolic pathway found in most organisms for the catabolism of α-D-galactose to glucose 1-phosphate. First isolated from mammalian liver, galactokinase has been studied extensively in yeast, archaea, plants, and humans.
In molecular biology, biosynthesis is a multi-step, enzyme-catalyzed process where substrates are converted into more complex products in living organisms. In biosynthesis, simple compounds are modified, converted into other compounds, or joined to form macromolecules. This process often consists of metabolic pathways. Some of these biosynthetic pathways are located within a single cellular organelle, while others involve enzymes that are located within multiple cellular organelles. Examples of these biosynthetic pathways include the production of lipid membrane components and nucleotides. Biosynthesis is usually synonymous with anabolism.
Isopentenyl pyrophosphate is an isoprenoid precursor. IPP is an intermediate in the classical, HMG-CoA reductase pathway and in the non-mevalonate MEP pathway of isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis. Isoprenoid precursors such as IPP, and its isomer DMAPP, are used by organisms in the biosynthesis of terpenes and terpenoids.
Platensimycin, a metabolite of Streptomyces platensis, is an antibiotic, which act by blocking enzymes.
(E)-4-Hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP or HMB-PP) is an intermediate of the MEP pathway (non-mevalonate pathway) of isoprenoid biosynthesis. The enzyme HMB-PP synthase (GcpE, IspG) catalyzes the conversion of 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate (MEcPP) into HMB-PP. HMB-PP is then converted further to isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) by HMB-PP reductase (LytB, IspH).
Isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase, also known as Isopentenyl-diphosphate delta isomerase, is an isomerase that catalyzes the conversion of the relatively un-reactive isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) to the more-reactive electrophile dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP). This isomerization is a key step in the biosynthesis of isoprenoids through the mevalonate pathway and the MEP pathway.
Diphosphomevalonate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.33), most commonly referred to in scientific literature as mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase, is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (EC 2.2.1.7) is an enzyme in the non-mevalonate pathway that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a chrysanthemyl diphosphate synthase is an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of terpenoids. This enzyme is also known as CPPase. It catalyzes the chemical reaction shown below :
In enzymology, a geranyltranstransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate cytidylyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction:
In enzymology, a 4-(cytidine 5'-diphospho)-2-C-methyl-D-erythritol kinase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Pyruvate, phosphate dikinase, or PPDK is an enzyme in the family of transferases that catalyzes the chemical reaction
4-Hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate reductase (EC 1.17.1.2, isopentenyl-diphosphate:NADP+ oxidoreductase, LytB, (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate reductase, HMBPP reductase, IspH, LytB/IspH) is an enzyme in the non-mevalonate pathway. It acts upon (E)-4-Hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (or "HMB-PP").
In molecular biology, YgbB is a protein domain. This entry makes reference to a number of proteins from eukaryotes and prokaryotes which share this common N-terminal signature and appear to be involved in terpenoid biosynthesis. The YgbB protein is a putative enzyme thought to aid terpenoid and isoprenoid biosynthesis, a vital chemical in all living organisms. This protein domain is part of an enzyme which catalyses a reaction in a complex pathway.
TRNA dimethylallyltransferase is an enzyme with systematic name dimethylallyl-diphosphate: tRNA dimethylallyltransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Trans,polycis-decaprenyl diphosphate synthase is an enzyme with systematic name (2Z,6E)-farnesyl-diphosphate:isopentenyl-diphosphate farnesylcistransferase . This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptose 1-phosphate adenylyltransferase is an enzyme with systematic name ATP:D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptose 1-phosphate adenylyltransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
