(R)-mevalonate biosynthesis KEGG:map00630 KEGG:map00310 KEGG:map00640 KEGG:map00720 KEGG:map00620 KEGG:map01110 KEGG:map00362 KEGG:map01120 KEGG:map00650 KEGG:map01100 KEGG:map00072 KEGG:map00380 KEGG:map00071 KEGG:map00280 Biosynthesis of mevalonic acid, a six-carbon metabolic intermediate. In eukaryotes, it arises from linkage of two acetyl-CoAs in the mitochondrion to form acetaoacetyl-CoA (4 carbons), followed by addition of another acetyl group from a third acetyl-CoA to give 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA). This latter compound is reduced by HMG-CoA reductase in the endoplasmic reticulum, using two NADPHs, with coincident loss of CoASH. HMG-CoA reductase is the most important regulatory enzyme for the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway and other isoprenoids/terpenoids. HMG-CoA reductase is a target for drugs that attempt to lower cholesterol levels in the body. One such drug is lovastatin, which inhibits the enzyme and stops endogenous synthesis of cholesterol. mevalonic acid biosynthesis pathway UPa:UPA00058 KEGG:map00900 metabolic intermediate biosynthesis (R)-mevalonate metabolism