title: Expression, crystallization and structure elucidation of γ-terpinene synthase from Thymus vulgaris.
abstract: The biosynthesis of γ-terpinene, a precursor of the phenolic isomers thymol and carvacrol found in the essential oil from Thymus sp., is attributed to the activitiy of γ-terpinene synthase (TPS). Purified γ-terpinene synthase from T. vulgaris (TvTPS), the Thymus species that is the most widely spread and of the greatest economical importance, is able to catalyze the enzymatic conversion of geranyl diphosphate (GPP) to γ-terpinene. The crystal structure of recombinantly expressed and purified TvTPS is reported at 1.65 Å resolution, confirming the dimeric structure of the enzyme. The putative active site of TvTPS is deduced from its pronounced structural similarity to enzymes from other species of the Lamiaceae family involved in terpenoid biosynthesis: to (+)-bornyl diphosphate synthase and 1,8-cineole synthase from Salvia sp. and to (4S)-limonene synthase from Mentha spicata.
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Pharmazeutische Biologie, Department für Biologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rudolph
authors.affiliation: Arbeitsgruppe Physikalische Biotechnologie, Institut für Biochemie/Biotechnologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Kurt-Mothes-Strasse 3, D-06120 Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parthier
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Biotechnik, Department für Biologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestrasse 91, D-91052 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Egerer-Sieber
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Pharmazeutische Biologie, Department für Biologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Geiger
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Biotechnik, Department für Biologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestrasse 91, D-91052 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Yves A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Pharmazeutische Biologie, Department für Biologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kreis
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Pharmazeutische Biologie, Department für Biologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Frieder
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Müller-Uri
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D003460:Crystallization; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004926:Escherichia coli; D015870:Gene Expression; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D000072756:Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical; D046930:Thymus Plant / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; C022723:gamma-terpinene synthetase
keywords: Thymus vulgaris; crystal structure; cyclase; essential oils; gene expression; geranyl diphosphate; terpenoid biosynthesis; thyme; γ-terpinene synthase