TERPENE BIOSYNTHESIS - FORMATION OF NEROL GERANIOL AND OTHER PRENOLS BY AN ENZYME SYSTEM FROM PINUS RADIATA SEEDLINGS

A soluble enzyme system obtained from Pinus radiata seedlings incorporates 6-7% of radioactivity from DL-2-14C mevalonic acid into isopentenol, dimethyl allyl alcohol, nerol, and geraniol. The system requires Mg2+ or Mn2+, and SH groups for optimal activity. The C5, and C10 prenols are formed from the correspondent phosphorylated compounds by a phosphatase, which may be partially inhibited by NaF. About 1% of the radioactivity from mevalonic acid is found loosely bound to proteins. It may be extracted with 1-butanol and appears associated with C15 prenols. Previous chemical evidence and some data in this paper suggest that neryl pyrophosphate and not geranyl pyrophosphate may be the precursor of cyclic monoterpenes. © 1969.