Role in The Shikimate Pathway
3-Dehydroquinate Dehydratase is an enzyme that catalyzes the third step of the shikimate pathway. The shikimate pathway is a biosynthetic pathway that allows plants, fungi, and bacteria to produce aromatic amino acids. Mammals do not have this pathway, meaning that they must obtain these essential amino acids through their diet. Aromatic Amino acids include Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, and Tryptophan.
This enzyme dehydrates 3-Dehydroquinate, converting it to 3-Dehydroshikimate, as indicated in the diagram on the right. This is the third step in the Shikimate pathway. It belongs to the family of lyases, specifically the hydro-lyases, which cleave carbon-oxygen bonds. The systematic name of this enzyme class is 3-dehydroquinate hydro-lyase (3-dehydroshikimate-forming). This enzyme is one of the few examples of convergent evolution. The two separate versions of this enzyme have different amino acid sequences.
3-Dehydroquinate dehydratase is also commonly referred to as Dehydroquinate dehydratase and DHQD. Other names include 3-dehydroquinate hydrolase, DHQase, 3-dehydroquinase, 5-dehydroquinase, dehydroquinase, 5-dehydroquinate dehydratase, 5-dehydroquinate hydro-lyase, and 3-dehydroquinate hydro-lyase.
Read more about this topic: 3-dehydroquinate Dehydratase
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