PLANT TERPENOID SYNTHASES - MOLECULAR-BIOLOGY AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS

This review focuses on the monoterpene, sesquiterpene, and diterpene s ynthases of plant origin that use the corresponding C-10, C-15 and C-2 0 prenyl diphosphates as substrates to generate the enormous diversity of carbon skeletons characteristic of the terpenoid family of natural products. A description of the enzymology and mechanism of terpenoid cyclization is followed by a discussion of molecular cloning and heter ologous expression of terpenoid synthases. Sequence relatedness and ph ylogenetic reconstruction, based on 33 members of the Tps gene family, are delineated, and comparison of important structural features of th ese enzymes is provided. The review-concludes with an overview of the organization and regulation of terpenoid metabolism, and of the biotec hnological applications of terpenoid synthase genes.