Leucine degradation (WP354)

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

While Saccharomyces cerevisiae can use most amino acids as their sole nitrogen source, they can only use a few amino acids as a carbon source to support growth (CITS:[Large86][Cooper82]). This is in contrast to most eukaryotes and some fungi, which can metabolize amino acids completely, utilizing them as sole sources of carbon and nitrogen (CITS:[Stryer88][Large 86]). S. cerevisiae degrade the branched-chain amino acids (leucine, iso-leucine, and valine) and the aromatic amino acids (tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine) via the Ehrlich pathway (CITS:[Sentheshanmuganathan60][10989420]). This pathway is comprised of the following steps: 1) deamination of the amino acid to the corresponding alpha-keto acid; 2) decarboxylation of the resulting alpha-keto acid to the respective aldehyde; and, 3) reduction of the aldehyde to form the corresponding long chain or complex alcohol, known as a fusel alcohol or fusel oil (CITS:[10989420][Large 86]). Fusel alcohols are important flavor and aroma compounds in yeast-fermented food products and beverages (as reported in (CITS:[9546164]). Each of the three steps in branched-chain amino acid degradation can be catalyzed by more than one isozyme; which enzyme is used appears to depend on the amino acid, the carbon source and the stage of growth of the culture (CITS:[12499363]). In leucine degradation, Thi3p is believed to be the major decarboxylase (CITS: [12499363]). SOURCE: SGD pathways, http://pathway.yeastgenome.org/server.html

Authors

Jessica Heckman , Daniela Digles , Egon Willighagen , Eric Weitz , and Kristina Hanspers

Activity

last edited

Discuss this pathway

Check for ongoing discussions or start your own.

Cited In

Are you planning to include this pathway in your next publication? See How to Cite and add a link here to your paper once it's online.

Organisms

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Communities

Annotations

Pathway Ontology

leucine degradation pathway classic metabolic pathway

Participants

Label Type Compact URI Comment
4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate Metabolite chebi:17865
L-glutamate Metabolite cas:56-86-0
L-leucine Metabolite cas:61-90-5
CO2 Metabolite chebi:16526
3-methylbutanal Metabolite chebi:16638
2-oxoglutarate Metabolite chebi:16810
NAD+ Metabolite chebi:57540
NADH Metabolite chebi:57945
3-methylbutanol Metabolite chebi:15837
BAT2 GeneProduct sgd:S000003909
THI3 GeneProduct sgd:S000002238
SFA1 GeneProduct sgd:S000002327
BAT1 GeneProduct sgd:S000001251
ARO10 GeneProduct sgd:S000002788
ADH5 GeneProduct sgd:S000000349
ADH4 GeneProduct sgd:S000003225

References

  1. Two yeast homologs of ECA39, a target for c-Myc regulation, code for cytosolic and mitochondrial branched-chain amino acid aminotransferases. Eden A, Simchen G, Benvenisty N. J Biol Chem. 1996 Aug 23;271(34):20242–5. PubMed Europe PMC Scholia
  2. Mitochondrial and cytosolic branched-chain amino acid transaminases from yeast, homologs of the myc oncogene-regulated Eca39 protein. Kispal G, Steiner H, Court DA, Rolinski B, Lill R. J Biol Chem. 1996 Oct 4;271(40):24458–64. PubMed Europe PMC Scholia
  3. A 13C nuclear magnetic resonance investigation of the metabolism of leucine to isoamyl alcohol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Dickinson JR, Lanterman MM, Danner DJ, Pearson BM, Sanz P, Harrison SJ, et al. J Biol Chem. 1997 Oct 24;272(43):26871–8. PubMed Europe PMC Scholia
  4. Pyruvate decarboxylase catalyzes decarboxylation of branched-chain 2-oxo acids but is not essential for fusel alcohol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. ter Schure EG, Flikweert MT, van Dijken JP, Pronk JT, Verrips CT. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1998 Apr;64(4):1303–7. PubMed Europe PMC Scholia
  5. An investigation of the metabolism of valine to isobutyl alcohol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Dickinson JR, Harrison SJ, Hewlins MJ. J Biol Chem. 1998 Oct 2;273(40):25751–6. PubMed Europe PMC Scholia
  6. Pathways of leucine and valine catabolism in yeast. Dickinson JR. Methods Enzymol. 2000;324:80–92. PubMed Europe PMC Scholia
  7. Branched-chain-amino-acid transaminases of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Prohl C, Kispal G, Lill R. Methods Enzymol. 2000;324:365–75. PubMed Europe PMC Scholia
  8. The catabolism of amino acids to long chain and complex alcohols in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Dickinson JR, Salgado LEJ, Hewlins MJE. J Biol Chem. 2003 Mar 7;278(10):8028–34. PubMed Europe PMC Scholia
  9. Physiological characterization of the ARO10-dependent, broad-substrate-specificity 2-oxo acid decarboxylase activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Vuralhan Z, Luttik MAH, Tai SL, Boer VM, Morais MA, Schipper D, et al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 Jun;71(6):3276–84. PubMed Europe PMC Scholia
  10. URL: https://pathway.yeastgenome.org/YEAST/NEW-IMAGE?type=PATHWAY&object=PWY3O-4112