ON THE MECHANISM OF SQUALENE BIOGENESIS

Abstract

A general mechanism for the conversion of mevalonic acid (MVA) to squalene is proposed based on the assumption that the MVA-derived condensing units are linked by interaction of C5 of one molecule with C2 of another molecule. Squalene synthesis from these branched-chain subunits is treated as a two-stage process, involving (a) the condensation of 3 "isoprenoid" units to sesquiterpene (C15) and (b) the reductive coupling of 2 molecules of the C15 intermediate to squalene. Equations are given for the proposed scheme which the authors feel should be applicable to the biogenesis of terpenes in general.