Pathways

Juvenile hormones in insects are important for their growth before their adulthood, preventing metamorphosis if they undergo one. In Drosophila, only juvenile hormone III has been identified, while others exist in butterflies and moths. Synthesis of various forms of juvenile hormone III (JH III) start with farnesyl diphosphate interacting with an uncharacterized phosphatase protein, forming farnesol. Farnesol then interacts with NADP+ dependent farensol dehydrogenase, which removes a hydrogen ion from the hydroxyl group in order to form farnesal. Farnesal then enters the mitochondria and interacts with another uncharacterized aldehyde dehydrogenase which allows it to form farnesoic acid. Farnesoic acid can then interact with an unknown protein, similar to farnesoate epoxidase in Bombyx mori, in order to form juvenile hormone III acid (JH III acid). JH III acid can then interact with epoxide hydrolase in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, forming the final product of this pathway, juvenile hormone III acid diol (JH III acid diol). It can also interact with juvenile hormone acid O-methyltransferase in order to form JH III, which is used in another set of reactions in this pathway. If farnesoic acid does not interact with the unknown protein, it may interact with juvenile hormone acid O-methyltransferase to form methyl farnesoate. Methyl farnesoate can then interact with a different unknown protein similar, to methyl farnesoate epoxidase in Diploptera punctata, in order to form JH III. In the mitochondria, JH III can interact with carboxylic ester hydrolase in order to form JH III acid, which then can form the final product, or form JH III again. Alternately, JH III can interact with epoxide hydrolase in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, forming juvenile hormone III diol. This product then interacts with carboxylic ester hydrolase in the mitochondria, forming JH III acid diol, again, the end product of this pathway.

Kanamycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that can used for inhibiting protein synthesis of bacteria, which can be used for treating bacterial infections and tuberculosis. Kanamycin can bind to bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit protein and four nucleotides of 16S rRNA irreversibly to inhibit the formation of mRNA. Binding of kanamycin can interfere the vicinity of nucleotide 1400 in 16S rRNA that can interact with wobble base of the anticodon of tRNA, which lead to misreading of mRNA and wrong insertion of amino acids. The result is the nonfunctional or toxic peptides that is generated from the ribosome. Aminoglycosides can be used for treating bacterial infections from aerobic, Gram-negative bacteria and also Gram-postive bacteria. However, aminoglycosides may cause more damage to the host than other antibiotics for Gram-positive bacterial infection. Aminoglycosides are mostly ineffective against anaerobic bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Kanamycin is an antibiotic from the aminoglycoside family. It is used to treat a variety of infections caused by different bacteria. This drug is administered orally, intravenously, or by an intramuscular injection. Kanamycin is derived from Streptomyces kanamyceticus. It acts by binding irreversibly to the 30S subunit of the ribosome and 16S rRNA as it interferes with protein synthesis and wobble base pairing in tRNA. Specifically, this drug binds four nucleotides of the 16S rRNA and a single amino acid of the S12 protein. Interference in protein synthesis causes misreading leading to non-functional and toxic peptides, leading to the death of the bacteria. Like most aminoglycosides, it is associated with nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity.

The Kandutsch-Russell pathway is the alternative pathway stemming from the mevalonate pathway completing cholesterol biosynthesis. The Bloch pathway and the Kandutsch-Russell pathway are both key to a functioning human body as cholesterol aids in the development of many important nutrients and hormones, such as vitamin D. Starting in the endoplasmic reticulum, lanosterol is the first compound used in this pathway, and when catalyzed by delta(24)-sterol-reductase, becomes 24,25-dihydrolanosterol. 24,25-Dihydrolanosterol is quickly converted to 4,4-dimethyl-14a-hydroxymethyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol with the help of the enzyme lanosterol 14-alpha demethylase. This same enzyme, lanosterol 14-alpha demethylase, is also responsible for the conversion of 4,4-dimethyl-14a-hydroxymethyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol into 4,4-dimethyl-14a-formyl-5a-cholest-8-en-3b-ol. Lanosterol 14alpha demethylase is used once more here, to push the pathway into the inner nuclear membrane, converting 4,4-dimethyl-14a-formyl-5a-cholest-8-en-3b-ol into 4,4-dimethyl-5a-cholesta-8,14-dien-3b-ol. Now located in the inner nuclear membrane, 4,4-dimethyl-5a-cholesta-8,14-dien-3b-ol is converted into 4,4-dimethyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol through the help of a lamin-b receptor. Entering the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, methylsterol monooxygenase 1 is used to convert 4,4-dimethyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol into 4a-hydroxymethyl-4b-methyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol. 4a-Hydroxymethyl-4b-methyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol then uses methylsterol monooxygenase 1 to become 4a-formyl-4b-methyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol. Once again, methylsterol monooxygenase 1 is used to convert 4a-formyl-4b-methyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol into 4a-carboxy-4b-methyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol. Now using sterol-4-alpha-carboxylate 3-dehydrogenase, 4a-carboxy-4b-methyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol is turned into 4a-methyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3-one. This puts the pathway in the cell membrane, where a 3-keto-steroid reductase is used to convert 4a-methyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-one into 4a-methyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3-ol. Moving back into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, methylsterol monooxygenase 1 converts 4a-methyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3-ol into 4a-hydroxymethyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol. Methylsterol monooxygenase is used twice more in this pathway, first converting 4a-hydroxymethyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol into 4a-formyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol, then converting 4a-formyl-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol into 4a-carboxy-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol. Now using sterol-4-alpha-carboxylate 3 dehydrogenase, 4a-carboxy-5a-cholesta-8-en-3b-ol becomes 5a-cholesta-8-en-3-one and brings the pathway back to the cell membrane. 5a-Cholesta-8-en-3-one teams up with a 3-keto-steroid reductase to create 5a-cholest-8-en-3b-ol. Then, stepping back into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, 5a-cholest-8-en-3b-ol enlists the help of 3-beta-hydroxysteroid-delta(8),delta(7)-isomerase to produce lathosterol. Lathosterol and lathosterol oxidase work together to make 7-dehydrocholesterol . Finally, 7-dehydrocholesterol partners with 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase to create cholesterol, completing the final step in cholesterol biosynthesis.

Kappadione is a drug that is not metabolized by the human body as determined by current research and biotransformer analysis. Kappadione passes through the liver and is then excreted from the body mainly through the kidney.