The biosynthesis of phenylalanine begins with chorismate interacting with chorismate mutase resulting in a prephenate. Prephenate reacts with a hydrogen ion through a prephenate dehydratase resulting in the release of water, carbon dioxide and 2-oxo-3-phenylpropanoate. The latter compound can be turn into phenylalanine through two different reversible reactions a) 2-oxo-3-phenylpropanoate reacts with alanine through a aromatic amino acid aminotransferase 2 resulting in the release of pyruvate and phenylalanine. b) 2-oxo-3-phenylpropanoate reacts with glutamic acid through a amino aci aminotransferase 1 resulting in the release of oxoglutaric acid and phenylalanine. The degradation of phenylalanine begins with the two previous reactions turning phenylalanine back ino 2-oxo-3-phenylpropanoate. The latter compound reacts with a phenylpyruvate carboxy lyase resulting in the release of phenylacetaldehyde. This latter compound reacts with a 2-phenylethanol dehydrogenase resulting in the release of 2-phenylethanol.

Phenylalanine Metabolism References