The acetate pathway, also known as the mevalonate or HMG-CoA reductase pathway, is an essential metabolic pathway that produces isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) from acetyl-CoA. It begins with two acetyl-CoA molecules condensing to form acetoacetyl-CoA, which then condenses with another acetyl-CoA to form HMG-CoA. HMG-CoA is reduced to mevalonate, which is then converted through a series of phosphorylation and decarboxylation steps into IPP and DMAPP. This pathway is targeted by statin drugs for lowering
2. The acetate pathway, is also known as Mevalonate pathway or
HMG-CoA reductase pathway, is an essential metabolic
pathway present in Eukaryotes, archaea, and some bacteria.
The pathway produces two five carbon building blocks
called Isopentenyl Pyrophosphate (IPP) and Dimethylallyl
Pyrophosphate (DMAPP)
The Mavalonate pathway begins with Acetyl CoA and ends
with the production of IPP and DMAPP.
It is best known as the target of statins, a class of cholesterol
lowering agent.
3. Types of Mevalonate Pathway
1. Upper Mevalonate Pathway/Acetate Mevalonate Pathway
The Mevalonate pathway of Eukaryotes archaea and bacteria
all begin the same way.
The sole carbon feed stock of the pathway is Acetyl CoA. The
first step condenses two Acetyl CoA molecules to yeild
Acetoacetyl CoA. This followed by a second condensation to
form HMG-CoA (3-Hydroxy-3-Methyl-glutaryl-CoA).
Reduction of HMG-CoA yeilds Mevalonate. These first three
Enzymatic steps are called the upper Mevalonic pathway.
4. 2. Lower Mevalonic Pathway/ Acetate Mevalonic
pathway
The lower mevalonate pathway which converts Mevalonate
into IPP and DMAPP has 3 variants. In Eukaryotes,
Mevalonate is phosphorylated twice in the 5-OH position, then
decarboxylated to yeild IPP.
In some archaea such as Haloferax volcanii, Mevalonate is
phosphorylated once in the 5-OH position, decarboxylated to
yeild Isopentenyl Phosphate (IP), and finally phosphorylated
again to yeild IPP.
A third Mevalonate pathway variant found in Thermoplasma
acidophilum, phosphorylates Mevalonate at the 3-OH position
followed by phosphorylation at the 5-OH position.
The resulting metabolite, Mevalonate-3,5-bisphosphate, is
decarboxylated to IP and finally phosphorylated to yeild IPP.
8. Acetyl Mevalonate pathway starts with Acetyl CoA (which is
the active form of Acetate) comes from the Glycolysis
pathway, and finally it converts to Pyruvate.
Two molecules of Acetyl CoA combines with each other and
converts into the Acetoacetyl CoA by the enzyme Acetl CoA
Thiolase.
The acetoacetyl CoA combines with another Acetyl CoAto
form 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutarylCoA (HMD CoA) with the
help of enzyme, HMG CoA Synthase.
HMG CoA undergoes reduction to form Mevalonate with the
help of enzyme, HMG CoA Reductase and NADPH and 2H+.
Mevalonate undergoes phosphorylation in presence of ATP to
form 5-Phospho-Mevalonate at position C-5, enzyme involved
is Mevalonic acid 5-Phosphase.
5-phosphomevalante again undergoes Phosphorylation to
form 5-PyrophosphoMevalonate with the help of ATP.
9. 5-Pyrophosphomevalonate is then converted to two important
precursors i.e. Isopentenyl Pyrophosphate and Dimethylallyl
Pyrophosphate which is responsible for the synthesis of
different types of Isoprenoids with the help of enzyme 5-
Pyroposphate decarboxylase.
This Isopentenyl Pyrophosphate undergoes Isomerisation to
form DimehtylallylPyrophosphate with the help of enzyme
IPP Isomerase.
Isopentyl Pyrophosphate and DimehtylallylPyrophosphate
undergoes condensation to form Geramyl Pyrophosphate.
Geranyl Pyrophosphate is further converted to Formesyl
Pyrophosphate due to the addition of IPP, with the release of
P2O6.
To the Formesyl Pyrophosphate, IPP is added to form
Geranyl Geranyl Pyrophosphate.
To the Formesyl Pyrophosphate, FPP is added to form
Squalene.