Enzymology of monoterpene functionalization in glandular trichomes

Abstract

The plant kingdom supports an extraordinary chemical diversity, with terpenoids representing a particularly diversified class of secondary (or specialized) metabolites. Volatile and semi-volatile terpenoids in the C10-C20 range are often formed in specialized cell types and secretory structures. In the angiosperm lineage, glandular trichomes play an important role in enabling the biosynthesis and storage (or in some cases secretion) of functionalized terpenoids. The 'decoration' of a terpenoid scaffold with functional groups changes its physical and chemical properties, and can therefore affect the perception of a specific metabolite by other organisms. Because of the ecological implications (e.g. plant-herbivore interactions) and commercial relevance (e.g. volatiles used in the flavor and fragrance industries), terpenoid functionalization has been researched extensively. Recent successes in the cloning and functional evaluation of genes as well as the structural and biochemical characterization of enzyme catalysts have laid the foundation for an improved understanding of how pathways toward functionalized monoterpenes may have evolved. In this review, we will focus on an up-to-date account of functionalization reactions present in glandular trichomes.

Keywords: Carbonyl reductase; cytochrome P450; dehydrogenase; double bond reductase; glandular trichome; hydroxylase; oxidoreductase.