Mevalonic acid
Mevalonic acid is a key organic compound in biochemistry; the name is a contraction of dihydroxymethylvalerolactone. The carboxylate anion of mevalonic acid, which is the predominant form in biological environments, is known as mevalonate and is of major pharmaceutical importance. Drugs like statins stop the production of mevalonate by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase.Chemistry
Mevalonic acid is very soluble in water and polar organic solvents. It exists in equilibrium with its lactone form, called mevalonolactone, that is formed by internal condensation of its terminal alcohol and carboxylic acid functional groups.Biology
Mevalonic acid is a precursor in the biosynthetic pathway known as the mevalonate pathway that produces terpenes and steroids. Mevalonic acid is the primary precursor of isopentenyl pyrophosphate, that is in turn the basis for all terpenoids. Mevalonic acid is chiral and the -enantiomer is the only one that is biologically active.
: The figure doesn't show that the HMG-CoA synthase needs another Acetyl-CoA as Substrate. Moreover, the enzyme that synthesizes mevalonic acid consumes two equivalents of NADH and releases one reduced CoA-SH.
