Chorismate mutase (CM) EC:5.4.99.5 catalyses the the conversion of chorismate to prephenate in the shikimate pathway of tyrosine and phenylalanine biosynthesis in bacteria, fungi and plants [1,2]. The three types of CM are AroH class, AroQ class, prokaryotic type and AroQ class, eukaryotic type. Structurally CMs can be divided into two main groups: type I (AroH) class and type II (AroQ). Type I (AroH) CMs include CMs characterised by a trimeric pseudo alpha/beta barrel structure [2]. The two types of the AroQ structural class (the Escherichia coli CM dimer and the yeast CM monomer) can be structurally superimposed, and the topology of the four-helix bundle forming the active site is conserved [3]. CMs can be monofunctional or bifunctional (generally fused to another shikimate pathway member). Despite the structural differences, all CMs perform the same basic reaction [2]. This entry represents chorismate mutases of the AroH class predominantly from Terrabacteria.

1: Crystal structures of the monofunctional chorismate mutase from Bacillus subtilis and its complex with a transition state analog. Chook YM, Ke H, Lipscomb WN; Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1993;90:8600-8603. PMID:8378335

2: The two chorismate mutases from both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis: biochemical analysis and limited regulation of promoter activity by aromatic amino acids. Schneider CZ, Parish T, Basso LA, Santos DS; J Bacteriol. 2008;190:122-134. PMID:17965159

3: Allosteric regulation of catalytic activity: Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase versus yeast chorismate mutase. Helmstaedt K, Krappmann S, Braus GH; Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2001;65:404-421. PMID:11528003