Biosynthesis of marine natural products: isolation and characterization of a myrcene synthase from cultured tissues of the marine red alga Ochtodes secundiramea

Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics
M L WiseR Croteau

Abstract

The acyclic monoterpene myrcene is the likely progenitor of the unusual cytotoxic halogenated monoterpenes that are found in marine algae and that function as feeding deterrents to herbivores. Myrcene synthase was isolated from suspension cultures of the marine red alga Ochtodes secundiramea, representing the first enzyme of this type from a marine organism. The algal myrcene synthase produces exclusively myrcene from the natural substrate geranyl diphosphate (GDP), utilizes Mg(+2) as the required divalent metal ion cofactor, has a molecular mass of about 69 kDa, and exhibits a pH optimum near 7.2. These features are similar to those of monoterpene synthases from terrestrial organisms. When incubated with neryl diphosphate (the cis-isomer of GDP), the O. secundiramea myrcene synthase produces the cyclic monoterpene limonene, whereas incubation with (+/-)linalyl diphosphate (the tertiary allylic isomer of geranyl diphosphate) yields both acyclic and cyclic monoterpenes. These results suggest that the enzyme is incapable of isomerizing geranyl diphosphate to linalyl diphosphate, a feature common to all monoterpene cyclases from terrestrial sources. The limited catalytic capability of the myrcene synthase may reflect the ancient e...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Dec 14, 2011·Marine Drugs·Dioli Ann PayoOlivier de Clerck
Nov 19, 2011·FEMS Microbiology Reviews·Severin SassoChristian Hertweck
Jul 29, 2006·Natural Product Reports·Bradley S Moore
Sep 19, 2019·Marine Drugs·Ana-Marija CikošIgor Jerković

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