In molecular biology, this
protein domain belongs to the terpene
synthase In biochemistry, a synthase is an enzyme that catalyses a synthesis process.
Note that, originally, biochemical nomenclature distinguished synthetases and synthases. Under the original definition, synthases do not use energy from nucleoside tripho ...
family (TPS). Its role is to synthesize
terpenes, which are part of primary
metabolism
Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cell ...
, such as
sterols
Sterol is an organic compound with formula , whose molecule is derived from that of gonane by replacement of a hydrogen atom in position 3 by a hydroxyl group. It is therefore an alcohol of gonane. More generally, any compounds that contain the gon ...
and
carotene
The term carotene (also carotin, from the Latin ''carota'', "carrot") is used for many related unsaturated hydrocarbon substances having the formula C40Hx, which are synthesized by plants but in general cannot be made by animals (with the exc ...
, and also part of the secondary metabolism. This entry will focus on the
N terminal domain of the TPS protein.
Function
Terpenes synthases have a role in producing important molecules in metabolism, these molecules are part of a large group called
terpenoids . In particular, the N terminal domain has feature of the copalyl diphosphate synthase (CPS) active site.
Structure
The N-terminal domain forms an alpha-barrel similar to that of the sesquiterpene cyclase epiaristolochene synthase.
Conservation
Sequence
In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is calle ...
s containing this
protein domain belong to the terpene
synthase In biochemistry, a synthase is an enzyme that catalyses a synthesis process.
Note that, originally, biochemical nomenclature distinguished synthetases and synthases. Under the original definition, synthases do not use energy from nucleoside tripho ...
family. It has been suggested that this
gene family
A gene family is a set of several similar genes, formed by duplication of a single original gene, and generally with similar biochemical functions. One such family are the genes for human hemoglobin subunits; the ten genes are in two clusters on ...
be designated tps (for terpene synthase).
Sequence
In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is calle ...
comparisons reveal similarities between the monoterpene (C
10) synthases, sesquiterpene (C
15)
synthase In biochemistry, a synthase is an enzyme that catalyses a synthesis process.
Note that, originally, biochemical nomenclature distinguished synthetases and synthases. Under the original definition, synthases do not use energy from nucleoside tripho ...
s and the diterpene (C
20) synthases. It has been split into six subgroups on the basis of phylogeny, called Tpsa-Tpsf .
*Tpsa includes
vetispiridiene synthase.
* Tpsb includes
(-)-limonene synthase.
*Tpsc includes
copalyl diphosphate synthase
In enzymology, a copalyl diphosphate synthase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
:geranylgeranyl diphosphate \rightleftharpoons (+)-copalyl diphosphate
Hence, this enzyme has one substrate, geranylgeranyl diphosphate, and one p ...
(
kaurene synthase A).
*Tpsd includes
taxadiene synthase
The enzyme taxadiene synthase (EC 4.2.3.17) catalyzes the chemical reaction
:geranylgeranyl diphosphate \rightleftharpoons taxa-4,11-diene + diphosphate
This enzyme belongs to the family of lyases, specifically those carbon-oxygen lyases acting ...
,
pinene synthase, and
myrcene synthase.
* Tpse includes
ent-kaurene synthase B.
*Tpsf includes
S-linalool synthase.
In the
fungus
A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...
''Phaeosphaeria sp.'' (strain L487) the synthesis of ent-kaurene from geranylgeranyl dophosphate is promoted by a single bifunctional
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...
.
See also
Terpene synthase C terminal domain
References
{{Terpenoids
Protein domains