1deoxyDxylulose
1-deoxy-D-xylulose is a five-carbon sugar phosphate that plays a crucial role in the non-mevalonate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis. This pathway is essential for the production of a wide variety of important molecules, including vitamins, hormones, and pigments, in many bacteria, archaea, and some eukaryotic organelles like apicoplasts.
The synthesis of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate, the phosphorylated form, is catalyzed by the enzyme deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS). This
The non-mevalonate pathway, and therefore 1-deoxy-D-xylulose, is absent in mammals, making it a target for the