Biosynthesis of 1-deoxy-l-imino-D-erythrose 4-phosphate: A defining metabolite in the aminoshikimate pathway

With respect to the source of the nitrogen atom incorporated into the aminoshikimate pathway, d-erythrose 4-phosphate has been proposed to undergo a transamination reaction resulting in formation of 1-deoxy-1-imino-d-erythrose 4-phosphate. Condensation of this metabolite with phosphoenolpyruvate catalyzed by aminoDAHP synthase would then hypothetically form the 4-amino-3,4-dideoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonic acid 7-phosphate (aminoDAHP), which is the first committed intermediate of the aminoshikimate pathway. However, in vitro formation of aminoDAHP has not been observed. In this account, the possibility is examined that 3-amino-3-deoxy-d-fructose 6-phosphate is the source of the nitrogen atom of the aminoshikimate pathway. Transketolase-catalyzed ketol transfer from 3-amino-3-deoxy-d-fructose 6-phosphate to d-ribose 5-phosphate would hypothetically release 1-deoxy-1-imino-d-erythrose 4-phosphate. Along these lines, a chemoenzymatic synthesis of 3-amino-3-deoxy-d-fructose 6-phosphate was elaborated. Incubation of 3-amino-3-deoxy-d-fructose 6-phosphate in Amycolatopsis mediterranei crude cell lysate with d-ribose 5-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate resulted in the formation of aminoDAHP and 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid. 3-[¹⁵N]-Amino-3-deoxy-D-6,6-[²H₂]-fructose 6-phosphate was also synthesized and similarly incubated in A. mediterranei crude cell lysate. Retention of both ¹⁵N and ²H₂ labeling in product aminoDAHP indicates that 3-amino-3-deoxy-D-fructose 6-phosphate is serving as a sequestered form of 1-deoxy-1-imino-D-erythrose 4-phosphate.