Question

4: The shikimate pathway is critically important and found in plants. Discuss reasons why this pathway is so important and even essential for all organisms, including animals.
In your answer, emphasize the role of the pathway as a “supplier” of several distinct classes of metabolites.

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

For the growth and flourishing of animals Aromatic amino acids are very important, but because of lack of shikimate these amino acids are not synthesized in animals pathway.But this pathway is found in both plants and micro organisms and they have the ability to produce these amino acids as well as some secondary metabolites required in animals.

There are different role played by this pathway in organisms such as;

1) It serve as a source of Tryptophan and phenylalanie which are important aromatic amino acid.

2)Neuroactive substances such as serotonin,epinephrine are biosynthesized as result of the product from the pathway.

3)Alkaloids that's found in plants as well as antibiotics possessed by microbes, which are essential therapeutical in animals are secondary metabolites that is biosynthesized as a result of the activities of this product of this pathway.

4)Shikimate is useful in the synthesizing of 6-Fluoroshikimic acid.

5) The shikimate pathway is important for the synthesis of a plethora of aromatic compounds in both plants and bacteria as well as fungi.