Production of non-natural terpenoids through chemoenzymatic synthesis using substrate analogs

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Electronic versions

  • Prabhakar L Srivastava
    Cardiff University
  • Luke A Johnson
    Cardiff University
  • David J Miller
    Cardiff University
  • Rudolf K Allemann
    Cardiff University

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of non-natural terpenes using the promiscuous activity of terpene synthases allows for the expansion of the chemical space of terpenoids with potentially new bioactivities. In this report, we describe protocols for the preparation of a novel aphid attractant, (S)-14,15-dimethylgermacrene D, by exploiting the promiscuity of (S)-germacrene D synthase from Solidago canadensis and using an engineered biocatalytic route to convert prenols to terpenoids. The method uses a combination of five enzymes to carry out the preparation of terpenoid semiochemicals in two steps: (1) diphosphorylation of five or six carbon precursors (prenol, isoprenol and methyl-isoprenol) catalyzed by Plasmodium falciparum choline kinase and Methanocaldococcus jannaschii isopentenyl phosphate kinase to form DMADP, IDP and methyl-IDP, and (2) chain elongation and cyclization catalyzed by Geobacillus stearothermophilus (2E,6E)-farnesyl diphosphate synthase and S. canadensis (S)-germacrene D synthase to produce (S)-germacrene D and (S)-14,15-dimethylgermacrene D. Using this method, new non-natural terpenoids are readily accessible and the approach can be adopted to produce different terpene analogs and terpenoid derivatives with potential novel applications.

Keywords

  • Terpenes/metabolism, Alkyl and Aryl Transferases/metabolism, Plasmodium falciparum/enzymology, Animals, Biocatalysis, Substrate Specificity, Aphids/enzymology
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)207-230
Number of pages24
JournalMethods in Enzymology
Volume699
Early online date4 Apr 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 24 Jun 2024
Externally publishedYes
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