Table 2.
Isoprenic/aromatic sources in pathogenic protozoa. The presence of aromatic amino acids degradation pathways (tyrosine and phenylalanine), the shikimate pathway and the isoprenoid source in pathogenic protozoa.
| Organism | Aromatic Head Group Biosynthesis | Isoprenoid Side Chain Biosynthesis | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Via Shikimate Pathway | Via Amino Acid Degradation | Mevalonate Pathway | Methylerythritol 4-Phosphate Pathway | |
| Leishmania spp. | - | Indirect evidence [63] | Experimental evidence at protein level [68,69] | - |
| Trypanosoma cruzi | - | Protein predicted | Experimental evidence at protein level [70] | - |
| Trypanosoma brucei | - | Protein predicted | Experimental evidence at protein level [71,72] | - |
| Plasmodium spp. | Experimental evidence at protein level [73,74,75] | - | Indirect evidence [76,77] | Experimental evidence at protein level [78,79,80] |
| Giardia intestinalis | - | - | Indirect evidence [81] | - |
| Trichomonas vaginalis | - | - | Protein predicted * | - |
| Toxoplasma gondii | Proteins inferred from homology [73,82,83] | - | Indirect evidence [84] | Experimental evidence at protein level [20,85,86] |