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THE SHIKIMATE PATHWAY.

Klaus M. Herrmann1, Lisa M. Weaver

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907; e-mail: Herrmann@biochem.purdue.edu, Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Missouri 63198;

Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology
|March 12, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The shikimate pathway, essential for aromatic compound biosynthesis in plants and microbes, converts carbohydrates into vital precursors. Its regulation and enzyme structures differ significantly between plants and microorganisms.

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Plant Science
  • Metabolic Engineering

Background:

  • The shikimate pathway is a crucial metabolic route for synthesizing aromatic compounds in plants and microorganisms.
  • It converts carbohydrates into chorismate, a precursor for aromatic amino acids and secondary metabolites.
  • This pathway is absent in animals, highlighting its specialized role in flora and fauna.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the biochemical steps and regulatory mechanisms of the shikimate pathway.
  • To investigate the localization and genetic regulation of chorismate biosynthesis in higher plants.
  • To explore the evolutionary and structural variations in shikimate pathway enzymes between different organisms.

Main Methods:

  • Enzyme purification and DNA characterization from prokaryotic and eukaryotic sources.
  • Analysis of cDNA sequences for plastid import signals in higher plants.
  • Comparative analysis of enzyme structures and regulatory mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Chorismate biosynthesis is localized to plastids in higher plants.
  • Microbial shikimate pathway regulation involves feedback inhibition and enzyme repression.
  • Higher plants appear to regulate the pathway primarily at the genetic level, with significant enzyme structural variation.
  • Isoenzymic forms of pathway enzymes exhibit variable expression based on environmental conditions and organ specificity.

Conclusions:

  • The shikimate pathway's regulation and enzyme structure show significant divergence between microorganisms and plants.
  • Understanding these differences is key to metabolic engineering and herbicide development.
  • The pathway's penultimate enzyme's role as a target for glyphosate is central to modern weed control strategies.