Structural biology of terpene synthases

Area of Science:

• Structural biology
• Biochemistry
• Enzymology

Background:

• Terpene synthases (TSs) produce diverse polycyclic terpenoids, but their catalytic mechanisms are poorly understood.
• Few TS structures have been solved despite over 95,000 known terpenoids.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the catalytic logic, structural features, and conserved motifs of TSs.
• To detail experimental procedures for TS structural biology research.
• To discuss prospects for engineering and designing TSs for novel terpene production.

Main Methods:

• Gene cloning and plasmid construction
• Protein purification and crystallization
• X-ray diffraction data collection and structural elucidation

Main Results:

• Introduction of basic catalytic logic, structural architectures, and conserved metal-binding motifs of TSs.
• Detailed experimental protocols for TS structural biology research.
• Discussion on structure-based engineering and de novo design of TSs.

Conclusions:

• Structural biology provides a foundation for understanding TS catalysis.
• Detailed methods facilitate further structural studies of TSs.
• TS engineering and design offer pathways to novel terpene molecules inaccessible via chemical synthesis.