3-methyl-2-oxobutanoate hydroxymethyltransferase (KPHMT)

3-methyl-2-oxobutanoate hydroxymethyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a hydroxymethyl group from 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to 3-methyl-2-oxobutanoate (alpha-ketoisovalerate), forming tetrahydrofolate and 2-dehydropantoate. This reaction is a key step in the biosynthetic pathway for pantothenate (vitamin B5), ultimately leading to the production of coenzyme A. The enzyme is encoded by the panB gene in bacteria such as Escherichia coli and is typically localized in the cytoplasm. Because this pathway is present in bacteria and essential for their survival, it is of interest as a potential antibacterial drug target. However, there are no known interacting clinical drugs or established use in human disease treatment currently

Other names

alpha-ketoisovalerate hydroxymethyltransferasedehydropantoate hydroxymethyltransferaseketopantoate hydroxymethyltransferaseoxopantoate hydroxymethyltransferase5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate:alpha-ketoisovalerate hydroxymethyltransferasehydroxymethyltransferaseKPHMTpanB

Drugs (if developed for antibacterial targets) would act as enzyme inhibitors, targeting the pantothenate biosynthesis pathway, potentially leading to bacteriostasis or bactericidal effects in organisms reliant on this pathway