Orthologs of the archaeal isopentenyl phosphate kinase regulate terpenoid production in plants

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1504798112
• Publication Date: 2015-07-28T01:51:13Z
• Authors: Laura K. Henry; Michael Gutensohn; Suzanne T. Thomas; Joseph P. Noel; Natalia Dudareva
• Keywords: Mevalonic acid; Farnesyl diphosphate synthase; Metabolic Engineering; Metabolic pathway; Mevalonate pathway

Terpenoids, compounds found in all domains of life, represent the largest class natural products with essential roles their hosts. All terpenoids originate from five-carbon building blocks, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and its isomer dimethylallyl (DMAPP), which can be derived mevalonic acid (MVA) methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways. The absence two components MVA pathway archaeal genomes led to discovery an alternative kinase (IPK) catalyzing final step, formation IPP. Despite fact that plants contain complete classical pathway, IPK homologs were identified every sequenced green plant genome. Here, we show is indeed a member terpenoid metabolic network. It localized cytosol coexpressed downstream network genes. In planta, acts parallel plays important role regulating both MEP pathway-derived by controlling ratio IP/DMAP IPP/DMAPP. IP DMAP also competitively inhibit farnesyl synthase. Moreover, discovered metabolically available carbon source for accessible via overexpression. This metabolite reactivation approach offers new strategies engineering production.