isopentenyl pyrophosphate

Introduction

Isopentenyl pyrophosphate is nature's basic 5 carbon building block of isoprene units.

Examples of biomolecules synthesized from isopentenyl pyrophosphate (terpenes) include:

• vitamin A & beta-carotene
• vitamin E
• vitamin K
• vitamin D
• ubiquinone*
• cholesterol*
  • adrenal steroids*
  • gonadal steroids*
• dolichol phosphate* (carrier in N-glycosylation of glycoproteins)
• prenyl proteins
• chlorophyll (side chain)
• natural rubber

* molecules synthesized in humans

More general terms

• alkene; olefin
• pyrophosphate
• intermediary metabolite

Additional terms

• Asn glycosylation
• beta-carotene
• chlorophyll (Derifil)
• cholesterol biosynthesis
• dolichol phosphate
• glycoprotein
• isoprene
• prenyl protein
• terpene; polymer of isoprene
• ubiquinone; coenzyme Q (CoQ, CoQ10, MitoQ, ubidecarenone)
• vitamin A
• vitamin D
• vitamin E
• vitamin K

Database

• PubChem: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=1195