5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase is a key enzyme for the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids in plants and many microbes. Consequently, it is a target for drugs and herbicides. EPSP synthase catalyzes the addition of phosphoenol pyruvate (PEP) to shikimate-3-phosphate, generating 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate, which is a precursor for phenylalanine and tyrosine.
The enzyme has , with the active site found in the interdomain cleft. There is a substantial structural change upon substrate binding, resulting in a . Glyphosate (also known as Roundup) occupies the binding site of the second substrate, phosphoenol pyruvate.
3D structures of EPSP synthase
Updated on 12-March-2014
1eps – EcEPSP – Escherichia coli
1p88, 1p89 - EcEPSP N terminal - NMR
1rf5 - SpEPSP – Streptococcus pneumoniae
2bjb, 2o15 – MtEPSP – Mycobacterium tuberculosis
2gg4 – AgEPSP – Agrobacterium
3roi, 3tr1, 4gfp – CbEPSP – Coxiella burnetii
3ti2 - VcEPSP N terminal – Vibrio cholerae
EPSP synthase binary complex
1g6t - EcEPSP + S3P
1mi4, 2qfq, 2qfs, 3fjx, 3fk0 - EcEPSP (mutant) + S3P
1q36 - EcEPSP (mutant) + S3P derivative
1x8r, 1x8t - EcEPSP + intermediate
2aa9 – EcEPSP + shikimate
2pq9 - EcEPSP + intermediate
1rf4 - SpEPSP + intermediate
2o0b, 2o0d - MtEPSP + S3P
2gg6 - AgEPSP + S3P
2pqb, 2pqc, 2pqd - AgEPSP + intermediate
2o0x - MtEPSP + intermediate
2o0z - MtEPSP + EPS
4egr - CbEPSP + phosphoenolpyruvate
EPSP synthase ternary complex
1g6p - EcEPSP + S3P + glyphosate
2qft, 2qfu, 3fjz, 3fk1 - EcEPSP (mutant) + S3P + glyphosate
2aay - EcEPSP + shikimate + glyphosate
1rf6 - SpEPSP + S3P + glyphosate
2gga - AgEPSP + S3P + glyphosate
4ggd - AgEPSP (mutant) + S3P + glyphosate
2o0e - MtEPSP + S3P + phosphoenolpyruvate
3nvs - VcEPSP + S3P + glyphosate
3slh - CbEPSP + S3P + glyphosate
