Structural-model-based genome mining can efficiently discover novel non-canonical terpene synthases hidden in genomes of diverse species
Tohru Abe, Haruna Shiratori, Kosuke Kashiwazaki, Kazuma Hiasa, Daijiro Ueda, Tohru Taniguchi, Hajime Sato, Takashi Abe, Tsutomu Sato
Abstract
(PeuTPS) was selected as a representative example of class ID TPSs and characterized. PeuTPS was identified as a diterpene synthase that forms a 6/6/6-fused tricyclic gersemiane skeleton. Analyses of PeuTPS variants revealed that amino acid residues within new motifs [D(N/D), ND, and RXXKD] located close to the class I active site in the 3D structure were essential for enzymatic activity. The homologs of non-canonical TPSs found in this study exist in bacteria as well as in fungi, protists, and plants, and the PeuTPS gene is not located near terpene biosynthetic genes in the genome. Therefore, structural-model-based genome mining is an efficient strategy to search for novel non-canonical TPSs that are independent of biological species and biosynthetic gene clusters and will contribute to expanding the structural diversity of terpenoids.