Figure 1

Comparison of the DXP and MVA pathway. A section of the central carbon metabolism from glucose (GLC) to IPP: A: of E. coli including glycolysis and DXP pathway, and B: of S. cerevisiae including glycolysis and the MVA pathway. The maximal IPP yields based on carbon stoichiometry and ignoring energy and redox equivalent requirements (5/6 = 0.83 and 5/9 = 0.56 C-mol/C-mol) differ due to different carbon loss via CO₂ in the formation of the precursors pyruvate (PYR) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GAP) or acetyl-CoA (AcCoA). The sum shows energy requirements and redox equivalents that have to be balanced by the organism’s metabolism. *: Note that cytosolic NADP⁺-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALD6) is constitutive while cytosolic NAD⁺-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALD2, ALD3) are stress-induced, glucose-repressed [51] and were not considered.