<unk>  diagram showing the conversion of acetyl-CoA into isopentenyl pyrophosphate, the essential building block of all isoprenoids. The eukaryotic variant is shown in black. Archaeal variants are shown in red and blue. The<unk> , also known as the isoprenoid<unk>  or HMG-CoA reductase<unk>  is an essential metabolic<unk>  present in eukaryotes, archaea, and some bacteria. The<unk>  produces two five-carbon building blocks called isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP), which are used to make isoprenoids, a diverse class of over 30,000 biomolecules such as cholesterol, vitamin K, coenzyme Q10, and all steroid hormones. The<unk>  begins with acetyl-CoA and ends with the production of IPP and DMAPP. It is best known as the target of statins, a class of cholesterol lowering drugs. Statins inhibit HMG-CoA reductase within the<unk> .
Mevalonate pathway
Pentose phosphate pathway
Polyol pathway
Fatty acid metabolism
Purine metabolism
Glyceroneogenesis
Mitochondrial biogenesis
Pyrimidine metabolism