Anabolic biosynthesis of Lysine is unusual among amino acids in that there are two dissimilar pathways of production.
One is the diaminopimelic acid pathway (DAP), and the other is the α-aminoadipic acid route (AAA).
What is interesting is that they are completely dissimilar, using different enzymes and having evolved separately in different lineages of life.
The diaminopimelic acid pathway is most commonly found in Plants - Kingdom Plantae but can pretty much be considered universal.
The less common α-aminoadipic acid route (AAA).
was once though to be unique to fungi1. But it has since been discovered in at least two other groups:
1Parts of the AAA pathway of lysine degradation are also found in animals, contributing to the theory that the Animal and Fungal kingdoms are much more more closely related than Plants and Fungi, as was once assumed.
ref:
Journal of Molecular Evolution
DOI: 10.1007/s00239-002-2340-2
© Springer-Verlag New York Inc. 2002
Molecular Evolution of the Lysine Biosynthetic Pathways
A.M. Velasco, J.I. Leguina, and A. Lazcano