Triterpene Biosynthesis in Plants

Autor: Thomas Louveau, Anne Osbourn, Ramesha B. Thimmappa, Katrin Geisler, Paul E. O'Maille
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
Zdroj: Annual Review of Plant Biology. 65:225-257
ISSN: 1545-2123
1543-5008
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-050312-120229
Popis: The triterpenes are one of the most numerous and diverse groups of plant natural products. They are complex molecules that are, for the most part, beyond the reach of chemical synthesis. Simple triterpenes are components of surface waxes and specialized membranes and may potentially act as signaling molecules, whereas complex glycosylated triterpenes (saponins) provide protection against pathogens and pests. Simple and conjugated triterpenes have a wide range of applications in the food, health, and industrial biotechnology sectors. Here, we review recent developments in the field of triterpene biosynthesis, give an overview of the genes and enzymes that have been identified to date, and discuss strategies for discovering new triterpene biosynthetic pathways.
Databáze: OpenAIRE