Biosynthesis and engineering of isoprenoid small molecules

Withers, Sydnor T.; Keasling, Jay D.

doi:10.1007/s00253-006-0593-1

Cited by 253 publications

(153 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Most of the prenyl transferases accept DMADP as the initial substrate, but they also bind GDP or FDP depending on the particular prenyltransferase (Greenhagen and Chappell, 2001;Tarshis et al, 1994Tarshis et al, , 1996Withers and Keasling, 2007). The availability of GDP and FDP are often the key factor in the production of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in plants.…”

Section: Carbohydrate-derived Flavor Compoundsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biosynthesis of plant‐derived flavor compounds

Schwab¹,

Davidovich‐Rikanati²,

Lewinsohn³

2008

The Plant Journal

966

704

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SummaryPlants have the capacity to synthesize, accumulate and emit volatiles that may act as aroma and flavor molecules due to interactions with human receptors. These low-molecular-weight substances derived from the fatty acid, amino acid and carbohydrate pools constitute a heterogenous group of molecules with saturated and unsaturated, straight-chain, branched-chain and cyclic structures bearing various functional groups (e.g. alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters and ethers) and also nitrogen and sulfur. They are commercially important for the food, pharmaceutical, agricultural and chemical industries as flavorants, drugs, pesticides and industrial feedstocks. Due to the low abundance of the volatiles in their plant sources, many of the natural products had been replaced by their synthetic analogues by the end of the last century. However, the foreseeable shortage of the crude oil that is the source for many of the artifical flavors and fragrances has prompted recent interest in understanding the formation of these compounds and engineering their biosynthesis. Although many of the volatile constituents of flavors and aromas have been identified, many of the enzymes and genes involved in their biosynthesis are still not known. However, modification of flavor by genetic engineering is dependent on the knowledge and availability of genes that encode enzymes of key reactions that influence or divert the biosynthetic pathways of plant-derived volatiles. Major progress has resulted from the use of molecular and biochemical techniques, and a large number of genes encoding enzymes of volatile biosynthesis have recently been reported.

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Section: Carbohydrate-derived Flavor Compoundsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biosynthesis of plant‐derived flavor compounds

Schwab¹,

Davidovich‐Rikanati²,

Lewinsohn³

2008

The Plant Journal

966

704

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Terpenoids composed of "isoprenoid" units constitute one of the largest group of natural products accounting for more than 40 000 individual compounds, with several new compounds being discovered every year [42][43][44] . Most of the terpenoids are of plant origin; however, they are also synthesized by other organisms, such as bacteria and yeast as part of primary or secondary metabolism.…”

Section: Terpenoidsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Terpenoids as potential chemopreventive and therapeutic agents in liver cancer

Thoppil

Bishayee²

2011

WJH

278

143

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Despite significant advances in medicine, liver cancer, predominantly hepatocellular carcinoma remains a major cause of death in the United States as well as the rest of the world. As limited treatment options are currently available to patients with liver cancer, novel preventive control and effective therapeutic approaches are considered to be reasonable and decisive measures to combat this disease. Several naturally occurring dietary and non-dietary phytochemicals have shown enormous potential in the prevention and treatment of several cancers, especially those of the gastrointestinal tract. Terpenoids, the largest group of phytochemicals, traditionally used for medicinal purposes in India and China, are currently being explored as anticancer agents in clinical trials. Terpenoids (also called "isoprenoids") are secondary metabolites occurring in most organisms, particularly plants. More than 40 000 individual terpenoids are known to exist in nature with new compounds being discovered every year. A large number of terpenoids exhibit cytotoxicity against a variety of tumor cells and cancer preventive as well as anticancer efficacy in preclinical animal models. This review critically examines the potential role of naturally occurring terpenoids, from diverse origins, in the chemoprevention and treatment of liver tumors. Both in vitro and in vivo effects of these agents and related cellular and molecular mechanisms are highlighted. Potential challenges and future directions involved in the advancement of these promising natural compounds in the chemoprevention and therapy of human liver cancer are also discussed.

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“…Isoprenoid monomers are produced either from acetyl-CoA through the mevalonate pathway or from pyruvate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) through the deoxyxylulose phosphate (DXP) (also known as the methy-lerythritol phosphate [MEP]) pathway [40,44,45]. These five-carbon monomers (i.e.…”

Section: The Isoprenoid Pathwaymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These five-carbon monomers (i.e. IPP, DMAPP) can be polymer-ized to chains ranging in length from one to more than a dozen units [44,45]. Viable production of fuel molecules relies on both increasing precursor biosynthesis as well as optimizing several downstream steps.…”

Section: The Isoprenoid Pathwaymentioning

confidence: 99%