This pathway describes the mevalonate arm of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway within different cellular regions.
This pathway is also known as the isoprenoid pathway or HMG-CoA reductase pathway, and is an essential metabolic pathway present in eukaryotes, archaea, and some bacteria. This pathway produces two five-carbon building blocks (isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP)), which are the precursors for various isoprenoids, a compound class containing cholesterol, vitamin K, coenzyme Q10, and all steroid hormones.
View more details on which drugs are related to these reactions at [WP4189](https://www.wikipathways.org/index.php/Pathway:WP4189). View the broader scope of cholesterol metabolism at [WP430](https://www.wikipathways.org/index.php/Pathway:WP430).