mevalonate5diphosphate

Mevalonate-5-diphosphate, also known as mevalonate-5-pyrophosphate, is a phosphorylated intermediate in the mevalonate pathway, the biosynthetic route that produces isoprenoids such as cholesterol, ubiquinone, and various terpenes. In this pathway, mevalonate is first phosphorylated to mevalonate-5-phosphate by mevalonate kinase, and then to mevalonate-5-diphosphate by phosphomevalonate kinase, yielding the diphosphate at the fifth carbon.

Mevalonate-5-diphosphate serves as the substrate for mevalonate-5-diphosphate decarboxylase, which converts it to isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP). This reaction involves decarboxylation and results in the formation of IPP, the universal five-carbon building block for downstream isoprenoid biosynthesis. IPP can then be used to generate larger isoprenoid compounds such as farnesyl pyrophosphate and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate.

The mevalonate pathway is present in many bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes, including humans, where it contributes to the production of cholesterol and other essential lipids. Mevalonate-5-diphosphate is a key intermediate in this conserved metabolic route, linking early phosphorylation steps to the generation of IPP and downstream isoprenoids.