Isoprenoid biosynthesis via the methylerythritol phosphate pathway: accumulation of 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate in a gcpE deficient mutant of Escherichia coli

In the bacterium Escherichia coli, gcpE is an essential gene in the methylerythritol phosphate pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis. Incubation of [1-3H]methylerythritol with an E. coli mutant defective in the gcpE gene resulted in the accumulation of [1-3H]methylerythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate. This suggests that the GCPE protein is involved in the further conversion of methylerythritol cyclodiphosphate into isoprenoids.