Sesquiterpene Synthase-Catalyzed Conversion of a Farnesyl Diphosphate Analogue to a Nonnatural Terpenoid Ether

Abstract

Sesquiterpene synthases catalyze the conversion of farnesyl diphosphate to more than 300 different hydrocarbon and alcohol natural products which often contain multiple fused rings and stereocenters. Recent work has taken advantage of the exquisite stereospecificity of these enzymes to synthesize complex novel sesquiterpenoids using nonnatural substrates. In this chapter, we describe the expression, purification, and use of one such synthase to convert a nonnatural substrate to a novel cyclic ether, thereby expanding the terpenome.

Keywords: Biocatalysis; Cyclic ether; Farnesyl diphosphate analogue; Sesquiterpenoid; Terpene synthases.