Tholl Dorothea
Department of Biological Sciences, Fralin Biotechnology Center, Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2006 Jun;9(3):297-304. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2006.03.014. Epub 2006 Apr 4.
Terpene synthases are the primary enzymes in the formation of low-molecular-weight terpene metabolites. Rapid progress in the biochemical and molecular analysis of terpene synthases has allowed significant investigations of their evolution, structural and mechanistic properties, and regulation. The organization of terpene synthases in large gene families, their characteristic ability to form multiple products, and their spatial and temporal regulation during development and in response to biotic and abiotic factors contribute to the time-variable formation of a diverse group of terpene metabolites. The structural diversity and complexity of terpenes generates an enormous potential for mediating plant-environment interactions. Engineering the activities of terpene synthases provides opportunities for detailed functional evaluations of terpene metabolites in planta.
萜类合酶是低分子量萜类代谢产物形成过程中的主要酶。萜类合酶生化及分子分析方面的快速进展使得对其进化、结构与机制特性以及调控进行了大量研究。萜类合酶在大基因家族中的组织方式、其形成多种产物的独特能力，以及在发育过程中以及对生物和非生物因子响应时的时空调控，促成了多种萜类代谢产物随时间变化的形成。萜类的结构多样性和复杂性为介导植物与环境的相互作用创造了巨大潜力。对萜类合酶活性进行工程改造为在植物中详细评估萜类代谢产物的功能提供了机会。
