title: Identifying functional domains within terpene cyclases using a domain-swapping strategy.
abstract: Cyclic terpenes and terpenoids are found throughout nature. They comprise an especially important class of compounds from plants that mediate plant- environment interactions, and they serve as pharmaceutical agents with antimicrobial and anti-tumor activities. Molecular comparisons of several terpene cyclases, the key enzymes responsible for the multistep cyclization of C10, C15, and C20 allylic diphosphate substrates, have revealed a striking level of sequence similarity and conservation of exon position and size within the genes. Functional domains responsible for a terminal enzymatic step were identified by swapping regions approximating exons between a Nicotiana tabacum 5-epi-aristolochene synthase (TEAS) gene and a Hyoscyamus muticus vetispiradiene synthase (HVS) gene and by characterization of the resulting chimeric enzymes expressed in bacteria. While exon 4 of the TEAS gene conferred specificity for the predominant reaction products of the tobacco enzyme, exon 6 of the HVS gene conferred specificity for the predominant reaction products of the Hyoscyamus enzyme. Combining these two functional domains of the TEAS and HVS genes resulted in a novel enzyme capable of synthesizing reaction products reflective of both parent enzymes. The relative ratio of the TEAS and HVS reaction products was also influenced by the source of exon 5 present in the new chimeric enzymes. The association of catalytic activities with conserved but separate exonic domains suggests a general means for generating additional novel terpene cyclases.
authors.affiliation: Plant Physiology/Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Program, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546-0091, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Back
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chappell
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013729:Terpenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D014166:Transferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D013729:Terpenes; D014166:Transferases; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; C078217:5-epi-aristolochene synthase; C092952:vetispiradiene synthase