Introducing Small Rings into Farnesyl Pyrophosphates Paves the Way for the Enzymatic Generation of Unnatural Sesquiterpene Scaffolds.

ABSTRACT: New sesquiterpene skeletons are accessible when the geminal dimethyl group in farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) is exchanged by small strained rings, specifically cyclopropane, cyclobutane, and oxetane. When these new FPP derivatives are exposed to sesquiterpene synthases, the additional chemical reactivity installed in the strained rings can interact in a unique way with the carbocation intermediates in the active centers of sesquiterpene synthases BcBOT2, PenA, Omp7, and Cop4, which are known to be substrate promiscuous. As such, they can induce rearrangements and ring enlargements, which can yield completely new, previously unknown sesquiterpene carbon skeletons with additional carbon atoms embedded in the (oligo)cyclic backbones. A total of 17 new terpenoids are reported and structurally el

SUBMITTER: Taser D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12903903 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature