Modern Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology

Metabolic Pathways for the Biosynthesis of Industrial Microbiology Products 95(iv) Further modification of the cyclised structure. The route leads to theformation of essential steroid hormones of mammals and to a variety ofsecondary metabolites in fungi and plants. it is not used to any extent in theactinomycetes.(vi) Compounds derived from amino acids: The amino acids are derived from variousproducts in the catabolism of glucose. Serine (C 3 N) and glycine (C 2 N) are derivedfrom the triose (C 3 ) formed glucose; valine (C 5 N) is derived from acetate (C 3 );aspartatic acid (C 4 N) is derived from oxeloacetic acid (C 4 ) while glutamic acid(C 5 N) is derived from oxoglutamic acid (C 5 ). The biosynthetic pathways for theformation of amino acids are shown in Fig. 5.13 from which it will be seen thataromatic amino acids are derived via the shikimic pathway.Secondary products may be formed from one, two or more amino acids. an example ofthe first group (with one amino acid group) is hadacidin which inhibits plant tumors andFig. 5.13Synthetic Routes of the Amino Acids