​UNRAVELING PLANT TERPENOID DIVERSITY FOR ADVANCED CROPS AND BIOPRODUCTS

Background: Modularity of Terpenoid metabolism fuels the diversity of biological functions

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All plant terpenoids derive from only two five-carbon (C5) isoprenoids, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP), and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), produced via the cytosolic mevalonate (MVA) and the plastidial 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathways. Sequential condensation of these units by prenyl transferases yields a handful of central prenyl diphosphate precursors of terpenoid biosynthesis: geranyl diphosphate (GPP, C10), farnesyl diphosphate (FPP, C15), and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP, C20). Plant terpenoid metabolism is often organized in form of modular networks, where combining a few enzyme modules along a common blueprint, facilitates the formation of thousands of different metabolites. Terpene synthases (TPS) and cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases (P450) are major enzyme modules driving terpenoid chemical diversity and bioactivity. TPS facilitate the committed carbocation-driven cyclization and/or rearrangement of their respective prenyl dihphosphate substrates into various terpene scaffolds, which are then modified through P450-catalyzed oxygenations and further functional decorations. On account of their critical role in terpenoid production, our group is particularly interested in the molecular evolution, distribution, and mechanistic specificity of the large TPS and P450 families. Zerbe & Bohlmann (2015) Trends Biotechnol 33, 419-28 Karunanithi & Zerbe (2020) Front Plant Sci 10:1166

Current research projects - click images to learn more

Terpenoid-mediated interorganismal interactions in Maize

Terpenoidmetabolism in the bioenergy crop SWITCHgrass 

Strawberry PROject

Pathway discovery in medicinal plants

Protein structure-function in Terpenoid metabolism