aroE

Gene Description

aroE (locus PP_3002) encodes shikimate dehydrogenase (SDH; EC 1.1.1.25), a soluble, NADP(H)-dependent oxidoreductase that catalyzes the reversible reduction of 3-dehydroshikimate to shikimate, the fourth step of the seven-step shikimate pathway. The shikimate pathway converts phosphoenolpyruvate and D-erythrose 4-phosphate into chorismate, the common precursor of the aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan) and other aromatic metabolites such as folate and ubiquinone. As an AroE-class shikimate dehydrogenase the enzyme is selective for 3-dehydroshikimate as substrate and NADP(H) as cofactor, and it functions as a homodimer. Its catalytic core comprises an N-terminal substrate-binding (Rossmann-like) domain and a C-terminal NADP-binding domain; a crystal structure of the P. putida KT2440 enzyme has been solved (PDB 3PWZ). The enzyme acts in the cytosol and is required for de novo biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids; in P. putida KT2440 there are additional shikimate dehydrogenase homologs, but PP_3002 (aroE-2) represents the canonical AroE of the shikimate pathway.

Existing Annotations Review

GO Term	Evidence	Action	Reason
GO:0004764 shikimate 3-dehydrogenase (NADP+) activity	IEA GO_REF:0000120	ACCEPT	Summary: Core molecular function. AroE catalyzes the NADP(+)-dependent reversible oxidoreduction of shikimate / 3-dehydroshikimate (EC 1.1.1.25, RHEA:17737), as captured by UniProt, the HAMAP rule MF_00222, and the solved crystal structure (PDB 3PWZ). Reason: Directly supported by the conserved shikimate dehydrogenase family assignment, UniProt catalytic-activity record, the EC/Rhea mapping, and an experimentally determined structure of the KT2440 enzyme. This is the defining activity of the gene product.
GO:0005829 cytosol	IEA GO_REF:0000118	ACCEPT	Summary: AroE is a soluble cytosolic metabolic enzyme with no signal peptide or transmembrane region; cytosolic localization is consistent with its role in the central shikimate pathway. Reason: Appropriate compartment for a soluble biosynthetic dehydrogenase; consistent with the TreeGrafter inference and with the absence of membrane-targeting or secretion signals in the sequence.
GO:0009423 chorismate biosynthetic process	IEA GO_REF:0000120	ACCEPT	Summary: AroE performs step 4 of 7 in chorismate biosynthesis from D-erythrose 4-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate (UniProt PATHWAY; UniPathway UPA00053/UER00087), so participation in chorismate biosynthesis is a core biological process. Reason: The reduction of 3-dehydroshikimate to shikimate is an obligate intermediate step on the route to chorismate; well supported and represents a core function.
GO:0016491 oxidoreductase activity	IEA GO_REF:0000117	MARK AS OVER ANNOTATED	Summary: A high-level parent of the specific activity GO:0004764 (shikimate 3-dehydrogenase (NADP+) activity), which is already annotated. It is not incorrect but is uninformative given the more precise child term. Reason: Redundant general grouping term; the specific molecular function (GO:0004764) is already present and should be retained as the informative annotation.
GO:0019632 shikimate metabolic process	IEA GO_REF:0000120	KEEP AS NON CORE	Summary: AroE produces shikimate (and acts on it reversibly), so it participates in shikimate metabolism. This is accurate but more general than, and subsumed by, the chorismate biosynthetic process annotation that better captures the gene's pathway role. Reason: Correct but broader/less specific than the chorismate biosynthesis annotation; retained as a valid non-core process term.
GO:0050661 NADP binding	IEA GO_REF:0000120	ACCEPT	Summary: AroE binds NADP(H) as its redox cofactor; the UniProt record and the crystal structure identify multiple NADP(+)-binding residues in the C-terminal Rossmann-like domain. Reason: Cofactor binding is well supported by the family assignment, the annotated NADP-binding residues, and the structure; complements the catalytic activity annotation.

Gene Description

Existing Annotations Review

Core Functions

NADP(+)-dependent shikimate dehydrogenase catalyzing the reversible reduction of 3-dehydroshikimate to shikimate, the fourth step of the shikimate pathway leading to chorismate and aromatic amino acid biosynthesis.

References

Deep Research

Falcon

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