A new path for terpenoid biosynthesis

Vincent Courdavault; Nicolas Papon

doi:10.1016/j.tibs.2022.07.004

A new path for terpenoid biosynthesis

Trends Biochem Sci. 2022 Nov;47(11):906-908. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.07.004. Epub 2022 Jul 29.

Authors

Vincent Courdavault¹, Nicolas Papon²

Affiliations

¹ Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales (BBV), Équipe d'Accueil 2106, Université de Tours, 37200 Tours, France. Electronic address: vincent.courdavault@univ-tours.fr.
² Université d'Angers, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Institut de Recherche Fondamentale (IRF), Structure Féderative de Recherche (SFR) Interactions Cellulaires et Applications Thérapeutiques (ICAT), 49000 Angers, France. Electronic address: nicolas.papon@univ-angers.fr.

PMID: 35914998
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.07.004

Abstract

Triterpenes are C30 organic compounds abundantly found in all living organisms. Although previously believed to be exclusively produced from squalene or oxidosqualene, a recent report by Tao and colleagues describes a new triterpene biosynthetic route involving the cyclization of the precursor hexaprenyl diphosphate (HexPP) by unprecedented bifunctional terpene synthase (TS) enzymes.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Comment

MeSH terms

Cyclization
Diphosphates
Squalene*
Triterpenes*

Substances

Diphosphates
Triterpenes
Squalene