Coenzyme A biosynthesis enzymes

Coenzyme A biosynthesis enzymes are a group of evolutionarily conserved enzymes responsible for the multi-step conversion of pantothenate (vitamin B5), cysteine, and ATP into coenzyme A, a central metabolic cofactor. The canonical pathway in humans and many organisms involves five steps, each catalyzed by a distinct enzyme: pantothenate kinase (PanK), phosphopantothenoylcysteine synthetase (PPCS), phosphopantothenoylcysteine decarboxylase (PPCDC), phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase (PPAT, part of COASY in mammals), and dephospho-CoA kinase (DPCK, also part of COASY). CoA is vital for a wide range of metabolic pathways including fatty acid synthesis and degradation, energy production, and posttranslational protein modification. Genetic defects in these enzymes cause rare but severe neurodegenerative and cardiac diseases in humans. These enzymes are also validated or putative targets for antimicrobial drug development due to significant differences between microbial and human forms.

Other names

CoA biosynthetic enzymesenzymes of CoA biosynthesis pathwayCoA synthesis enzymes

Enzyme inhibition (blocking one or more steps in CoA biosynthesis arrests organismal or cellular function, mainly in pathogens); Antimetabolite competition with pantothenate