Biosynthesis of Rubber

Natural rubber (NR) biosynthesis: perspectives from polymer chemistry

“…2.8b) is a membrane-bound amphiphilic enzyme found in nr producing plants, yet to be isolated and fully characterized (asawatreratanakul et al, 2003; tanaka et al, 2001). it has been known since the 1950s that the chain elongation of rubber molecules proceeds by the addition of the isopentenyl pyrophosphate (iPP) monomer (archer and audley, 1967;Lynen and henning, 1960). these molecules are water-soluble and are present within the cytosol along with the divalent Mg 'cofactors' (Fig.…”

Initiation of rubber biosynthesis: In vitro comparisons of benzophenone-modified diphosphate analogues in three rubber-producing species

“…Progressive additions of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) molecules ultimately result in the formation of high molecular weight cis-1,4-polyisoprene (McMullin and McSweeney, 1966;Walsh, 1979;Tanaka, 2001). Enzymatically-active, partially-purified (washed) rubber particles can be isolated such that, when provided with an appropriate APP primer, magnesium ion cofactor, and IPP monomer, rubber is produced in vitro (Archer and Audley, 1967;Light and Dennis, 1989;Madhavan et al, 1989). Kinetic studies determined that rubber transferase is highly tolerant of APP primers of differing lengths and stereochemistries, including dimethyl allyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP), geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP), farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), and others (Archer and Audley, 1987;Cornish et al, 1998).…”