Recombinant Farnesylation

Scheme 31 Farnesyl and its analogues that were incorporated enzymatically using recombinant FTase.

Much attention has been paid to the last step of the formation of monoter-penes and sesquiterpenes, which is catalysed by terpenoid synthases. Over 30 complementary DNAs (cDNAs) encoding plant terpenoid synthases involved in the primary and secondary metabolism have been cloned, characterised, and the proteins heterologously expressed [6]. However, because geranyl diphosphate and farnesyl diphosphate are not readily available substrates, their biotransformation by terpenoid synthases is not economically viable. As a result, considerable effort has been put into engineering the total plant terpenoid biosynthetic pathway in recombinant microorganisms. 

Omer, C.A., Krai, A.M., Diehl, R.E., Prendergast, G.C., Powers, S., Allen, C.M., Gibbs, J.B., and Kohl, N.E. (1993). Characterization of recombinant human farnesyl-protein transferase cloning, expression, farnesyl diphosphate binding, and functional homology with yeast prenyl-protein transferases. Biochemistry 32 5167-5176. 

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