title: Molecular cloning and characterization of drimenol synthase from valerian plant (Valeriana officinalis).
abstract: Drimenol, a sesquiterpene alcohol, and its derivatives display diverse bio-activities in nature. However, a drimenol synthase gene has yet to be identified. We identified a new sesquiterpene synthase cDNA (VoTPS3) in valerian plant (Valeriana officinalis). Purification and NMR analyses of the VoTPS3-produced terpene, and characterization of the VoTPS3 enzyme confirmed that VoTPS3 synthesizes (-)-drimenol. In feeding assays, possible reaction intermediates, farnesol and drimenyl diphosphate, could not be converted to drimenol, suggesting that the intermediate remains tightly bound to VoTPS3 during catalysis. A mechanistic consideration of (-)-drimenol synthesis suggests that drimenol synthase is likely to use a protonation-initiated cyclization, which is rare for sesquiterpene synthases. VoTPS3 can be used to produce (-)-drimenol, from which useful drimane-type terpenes can be synthesized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary T2N 1N4, Canada; Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Moonhyuk
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2G2, Canada.
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Cochrane
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2G2, Canada.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Vederas
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary T2N 1N4, Canada. Electronic address: daekyun.ro@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Dae-Kyun
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Ro
mesh_terms: D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D008025:Ligases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D013729:Terpenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D014632:Valerian / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013729:Terpenes; C481244:drimenol; D008025:Ligases
keywords: (−)-Drimenol; Drimenol synthase; Terpene synthase; Valerian; Valeriana officinalis