The shikimate pathway: gateway to metabolic diversity

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Metabolic Engineering
• Microbiology

Background:

• The shikimate pathway is crucial for aromatic amino acid biosynthesis (phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan) in diverse organisms.
• It involves seven key metabolic steps converting phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and erythrose 4-phosphate (E4P) to chorismate.
• Animals lack this pathway, while bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants utilize it extensively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the metabolic diversity stemming from shikimate pathway intermediates.
• To highlight compounds derived from prephenate, anthranilate, and the aminoshikimate pathway.
• To discuss the genomic and biochemical underpinnings of these diverse metabolites.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies from 1997 to 2023.
• Analysis of metabolic pathways and genomic data.
• Biochemical investigation of shikimate pathway derivatives.

Main Results:

• The shikimate pathway yields a wide array of specialized metabolites beyond aromatic amino acids.
• Intermediates are precursors to antibiotics, lipids, pigments, and cofactors.
• Metabolic diversity is observed across bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants.

Conclusions:

• The shikimate pathway is a versatile metabolic route supporting significant biochemical diversity.
• Understanding this pathway offers insights into the evolution of specialized metabolism.
• Further research can leverage this pathway for novel metabolite discovery.