BL-Phosphoenolpyruvate

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) is a high-energy intermediate in glucose and other carbohydrate metabolism. It is an important molecule in the glycolytic pathway, which breaks down glucose to produce energy in the form of ATP.

PEP is produced by the enzyme enolase reacting with 2-phosphoglycerate, an intermediate in the glycolytic pathway. The enzyme pyruvate kinase then converts PEP to pyruvate, which results in the formation of ATP. Because ATP is directly synthesized from the transfer of a phosphate group from PEP to ADP, this process is known as substrate-level phosphorylation. PEP is also a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of a variety of other molecules, such as amino acids and nucleotides. PEP is a precursor for the synthesis of aromatic amino acids like phenylalanine and tryptophan in plants. PEP is a precursor for the synthesis of several important molecules in bacteria, including fatty acids, purines, and pyrimidines.