title: A cDNA clone for taxadiene synthase, the diterpene cyclase that catalyzes the committed step of taxol biosynthesis.
abstract: The committed step of taxol (paclitaxel) biosynthesis is catalyzed by taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene synthase, a diterpene cyclase responsible for transforming the ubiquitous isoprenoid intermediate geranylgeranyl diphosphate to the parent olefin with a taxane skeleton. To obtain the corresponding cDNA clone, a set of degenerate primers was constructed based on consensus sequences of related monoterpene, sesquiterpene, and diterpene cyclases. Two of these primers amplified a 83-base pair fragment that was cyclase-like in sequence and that was employed as a hybridization probe to screen a cDNA library constructed from poly(A)+ RNA extracted from Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) stems. Twelve independent clones with insert size in excess of 2 kilobase pairs were isolated and partially sequenced. One of these cDNA isolates was functionally expressed in Escherichia coli, yielding a protein that was catalytically active in converting geranylgeranyl diphosphate to a diterpene olefin that was confirmed to be taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene by combined capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The sequence specifies an open reading frame of 2586 nucleotides, and the complete deduced polypeptide, including a long presumptive plastidial targeting peptide, contains 862 amino acid residues and has a molecular weight of 98,303, compared with about 79,000 previously determined for the mature native enzyme. Sequence comparisons with monoterpene, sesquiterpene, and diterpene cyclases of plant origin indicate a significant degree of similarity between these enzymes; the taxadiene synthase most closely resembles (46% identity, 67% similarity) abietadiene synthase, a diterpene cyclase from grand fir.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6340, USA.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wildung
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Croteau
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004926:Escherichia coli; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D007535:Isomerases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007535:Isomerases; C095926:taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene synthase; D017239:Paclitaxel