Mevalonate 5-diphosphate decarboxylase phosphorylation

The conversion of mevalonate (1) to isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) (4) involves two consecutive phosphorylations at position 5 by successive action of mevalonate kinase (EC 2.7.4.2) and a decarboxylation and dehydration of the tertiary alcohol group by mevalonate 5-pyrophosphate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.33) (Fig. 18.4) (Crotean Johnson, 1985 Gershenzon and Croteau, 1990). One mole of ATP is required for each phosphorylation reaction. Mevalonate kinase converts mevalonic acid to (5/ )-phosphomevalonate (5). The second phosphorylation is catalyzed by phospho-mevalonate kinase. The subsequent decarboxylation and dehydration is mediated by the enzyme mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (di- or pyrophosphomevalonate decarboxylase EC 4,1.1.3.3) this enzyme requires Mg " or Mn + and ATP for activity (Beale and MacMillan, 1988 Harrison, 1988). All three of these enzymes are found in a number of plants. 

Then (Scheme 11.41) mevalonate [(l )-3,5-dihydroxy-3-methylpentanoic acid] is phosphorylated by the enzyme mevalonate kinase (EC 2.7.1.36) at the primary hydroxyl. The phosphate that is added is obtained (an addition-elimination reaction or a displacement reaction) from the terminal phosphate group of ATP forming ADP in turn. Another phosphorylation, again using ATP yields mevalonate diphosphate, this time by the enzyme phosphomevalonate kinase (EC 2.7.4.2) and then, after one more phosphorylation, this time on the tertiary hydroxyl, decarboxylation and dehydration co-occur, catalyzed by the enzyme mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.43). The products are inorganic phosphate, carbon dioxide, and isopentenyl diphosphate (diphosphoric acid mono[3-methylbut-3-enyl] ester). Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (EC S.3.3.2) catalyzes the isomerization, via loss of the C2 pro-R hydrogen, between isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate. 

In animals all isoprenoid compounds are apparently synthesized from mevalonate, which is converted by the consecutive action of two kinases21 23 into mevalonate 5-diphosphate (Fig. 22-1, step b). Mevalonate kinase is found predominantly in peroxisomes, which are also active in other aspects of steroid synthesis in humans.2124 A deficiency of this enzyme is associated with mevalonic aciduria, a serious hereditary disease in which both blood and urine contain very high concentrations of mevalonate.23 Mevalonate diphosphate kinase, which is also a decarboxylase, catalyzes phosphorylation of the 3-OH group of mevalonate (step c, Fig. 22-1) and decarboxylative elimination of phosphate (step d)25 to form isopentenyl diphosphate. 

MVA is phosphorylated in two steps to the mono- and the diphosphate (MVAP and MVAPP), by the specific ATP-dependent enzymes MVA kinase (ATP-mevalonate-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.36) and MVAP kinase (EC 2.7.4.2), respectively. MVAPP is converted into IPP by a decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.33). The kinases and the decarboxylase have not yet been given as much attention as HMG-CoA reductase, and have only been characterized in a few plant species. Recently, MVA kinase was partially purified from C. roseus suspension cultures. The enzyme proved to be unstable and was present only at low activity levels (90). 

Once mevalonate has been formed it is sequentially phosphorylated by two separate kinases yielding mevalonate 5-diphosphate. A third ATP-consuming reaction involving a decarboxylase then generates the universal isoprene unit, isopentenyl pyrophosphate (Figure 7.18). The function of the ATP in this reaction appears to be to act as an acceptor for the leaving OH group in the dehydration part of the reaction. 

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