Acetic acid starter acetate

As discussed earlier, the avermectin polyketide backbone is derived from seven acetate and five propionate extender units added to an a branched-chain fatty acid starter, which is either (S( I )-a-mcthylbutyric acid or isobutyric acid. The C25 position of naturally occurring avermectins has two possible substituents a. sec-butyl residue derived from the incorporation of S(+)-a-methy lbutyry 1-CoA ( a avermectins), or an isopropyl residue derived from the incorporation of isobutyiyl-CoA ( b avermectins). These a branched-chain fatty acids, which act as starter units in the biosynthesis of the polyketide ring, are derived from the a branched-chain amino acids isoleucine and valine through a branched-chain amino acid transaminase reaction followed by a branched-chain a-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCDH) reaction (Fig. 5) [23]. 

Polyketide and fatty acid biosyntheses begin with condensation of the coenzyme A thioester of a short-chain carboxylic acid starter unit such as acetate or propionate with the coenzyme A thioester of a dicarboxylic acid extender unit such as malonate or methyl malonate. The driving force for the condensation is provided by the decarboxylation of the extender unit. In the case of fetty acid synthesis, the resulting -carbonyl is completely reduced to a methylene however, during the synthesis of complex poly-ketides, the -carbonyl may be left untouched or variably reduced to alcohol, olefinic, or methylene functionalities depending on the position that the extender unit will occupy in the final product. This cycle is repeated, and the number of elongation cycles is a characteristic of the enzyme catalyst. In polyketide biosynthesis, the full-length polyketide chain cyclizes in a specific manner, and is tailored by the action of additional enzymes in the pathway. 

Attractive Compounds. The female-produced sex pheromone of the yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, is (R)-4-methyl- 1-nonanol [316] 163 (Scheme 18). Careful investigations on the biosynthesis of this compound [317] revealed that it is produced through a modification of normal fatty acid biosynthesis (Fig. 1, Fig. 2) propanoate serves as the starter, while formal chain elongation with acetate, propanoate, and acetate (accompanied by removal of the oxygens) produces 4-methylnonanoate which yields the pheromone alcohol after reduction. The structures and role of proteins that are present in the hemolymph or secreted by the tubular accessory glands of T. molitor, and that may carry lipophilic chemical messengers (like pheromones) are under investigation [318,319]. 

During cheese production lactose is converted to lactic acid by starter lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Any unfermented lactose is converted to d- and L-lactate by nonstarter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB) and racemization, respectively. Lactate can be oxidized by LAB in cheese to acetate, ethanol, formic acid, and carbon dioxide at a rate dependent on oxygen availability (McSweeney, 2004). Other pathways include conversion to propionate, acetate, water, and carbon dioxide by Propionibacterium spp. carbon dioxide and water by Penicillium spp. yeasts and butyric acid and hydrogen by Clostridium spp. The rate of lactose metabolism influences proteolysis and flavor formation (Creamer et al., 1985 Fox et al., 1990). 

Thus, combination of one acetate starter unit with seven malonates would give the Ci6 fatty acid, palmitic acid, and with eight malonates the Ci8 fatty acid, stearic acid. Note that the two carbons at the head of the chain (methyl end) are provided by acetate, not malonate, whilst the remainder are derived from malonate, which itself... 

Anthranilic acid (2-aminobenzoic acid) (see page 126) is another shikimate-derived compound which, as its CoA ester anthraniloyl-CoA, can act as a starter unit for malonate chain extension. Aromatization of the acetate-derived portion then leads to quinoline or acridine alkaloids, according to the number of acetate units incorporated (Figure 3.47). These products are similarly discussed elsewhere, under alkaloids (Chapter 6, page 376). 

Cinnamic acids, as their coenzyme A esters, may also function as starter units for chain extension with malonyl-CoA units, thus combining elements of the shikimate and acetate pathways (see page 80). Most commonly, three C2 units are added via malonate giving rise to flavonoids and stilbenes, as described in the next section (page 149). However, there are several examples of products formed from a cinnamoyl-CoA starter... 

Cytochalasins.—Previous results have shown that the cytochalasins, e.g. cyto-chalasin B (126), are partially polyketide in origin cf. Vol. 7, p. 29 Vol. 6, p. 44). It has now been shown that [2-2H3,2-13C]acetic acid is incorporated into cyto-chalasin B (126) in Phoma exigua and into cytochalasin D in Zygosporium masonii. Labelling of the expected sites by 13C was observed for both metabolites, but, in keeping with results on other acetate metabolites, most of the deuterium was lost, being retained only in the polyketide chain at C-l 1, which is part of the starter acetate unit.102... 

This route has been demonstrated by feeding 13C-labelled malonyl CoA to a microorganism. The orsellinic acid produced has three 13C atoms only, seen by an M + 3 peak in the mass spectrum. The location of the labels can be proved by NMR, The starter unit, acetate, is not labelled. 

So far we have started the chain with acetate, but many other starter units are used, Some important groups of compounds use shikimic acid metabolites such as cinnamic acid (Chapter 50) as starter units. They include the widespread plant flavones and the anthocyanidin flower pigments. 

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