title: Natural rubber biosynthesis in plants: rubber transferase.
abstract: Rubber biosynthesis in plants is a fascinating biochemical system, which evolved at the dawn of the dicotyledoneae and is present in at least four of the dictolydonous superorders. Rubber biosynthesis is catalyzed by a membrane complex in a monolayer membrane envelope, requires two distinct substrates and a divalent cation cofactor, and produces a high-molecular-weight isoprenoid polymer. A solid understanding of this system underpins valuable papers in the literature. However, the published literature is rife with unreliable reports in which the investigators have fallen into traps created by the current incomplete understanding of the biochemistry of rubber synthesis. In this chapter, we attempt to guide both new and more established researchers around these pitfalls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA. cornish.19@osu.edu
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cornish
authors.forename: Wenshuang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019659:Asteraceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D057075:Enzyme Assays / Q000379:methods; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D045782:Hemiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry; D028482:Hevea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D007700:Kinetics; D007840:Latex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D019920:Photoaffinity Labels; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry; D012408:Rubber / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry; D014166:Transferases / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D045782:Hemiterpenes; D007840:Latex; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D019920:Photoaffinity Labels; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C004809:isopentenyl pyrophosphate; C004808:farnesyl pyrophosphate; D012408:Rubber; D014166:Transferases; C106821:cis-prenyl transferase