植物萜类合酶研究新进展

The new advance of terpene synthase research in the plant

近年来,植物中的萜类化合物除被用作药物、香料等产品的原料外,还广泛参与植物抗病、抗逆等生物防治过程。萜类合酶作为催化萜类化合物合成的核心酶也成为新的研究热点。本文就植物中萜类合酶的结构特点、系统进化、功能分类、催化途径、生理功能等方面进行综述。通过系统进化分析,对萜类合酶基因家族的成员进行分类,发现萜类合酶可能起源于包含双官能团的二萜合酶,其中小立碗藓(Physcomitrella patens)中的PpCPS/KS是典型的包含双官能团的二萜合酶。通过分析多个植物基因组中的萜类合酶基因家族的特点,分别总结了单萜合酶、倍半萜合酶、二萜合酶的酶结构和催化特性;并发现有些萜类合酶在萜类合成途径中形成基因簇参与萜类化合物的合成。本文还总结了萜类合酶基因的研究方法。

Terpenoids were widely used for commerce production and biological control, such as drug, spice, and disease resistance in plant. Terpene synthase （TPS）, the key enzyme involved in the terpenoid biosynthetic pathway, plays important roles in the synthesis of terpenoids in plant. To understand the TPS feature and the new advance on TPS research, the structure, phylogenetic evolution, functional classification, catalytic pathway, physiological function of TPS in plant have been summarized in this review article. The bifunctional diter- penoid synthase （e.g. PpCPS/KS of Physcomitrella patens） was speculated to be the ancestral genes in TPS evolution. The feature of domain and motif for monoterpene synthase, sesquiterpene synthase, and diterpenoid synthase were characterized. The TPS gene clusters were identified in the genome of several plants. The methods for identification of TPS were also discussed in this review.