The essential oils of ginger (Zingiber officinale) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) contain a large variety of terpenoids, some of which possess anticancer, antiulcer, and antioxidant properties. Despite their importance, only four terpene synthases have been identified from the Zingiberaceae family: (+)-germacrene D synthase and (S)-β-bisabolene synthase from ginger rhizome, and α-humulene synthase and β-eudesmol synthase from shampoo ginger (Zingiber zerumbet) rhizome. We report the identification of 25 mono- and 18 sesquiterpene synthases from ginger and turmeric, with 13 and 11, respectively, being functionally characterized. Novel terpene synthases, (−)-caryolan-1-ol synthase and α-zingiberene/β-sesquiphellandrene synthase, which is responsible for formation of the major sesquiterpenoids in ginger and turmeric rhizomes, were also discovered. These suites of enzymes are responsible for formation of the majority of the terpenoids present in these two plants. Structures of several were modeled, and a comparison of sets of paralogs suggests how the terpene synthases in ginger and turmeric evolved. The most abundant and most important sesquiterpenoids in turmeric rhizomes, (+)-α-turmerone and (+)-β-turmerone, are produced from (−)-α-zingiberene and (−)-β-sesquiphellandrene, respectively, via α-zingiberene/β-sesquiphellandrene oxidase and a still unidentified dehydrogenase.
ABSTRACT
PUBLICATION RECORD
- Publication year
2012
- Venue
PLoS ONE
- Publication date
2012-12-18
- Fields of study
Biology, Medicine, Environmental Science
- Identifiers
- External record
- Source metadata
Semantic Scholar, PubMed
CITATION MAP
EXTRACTION MAP
CLAIMS
CONCEPTS
- (−)-caryolan-1-ol synthase
A novel sesquiterpene synthase discovered in this study that produces (−)-caryolan-1-ol in ginger or turmeric.
- ginger
Zingiber officinale, a Zingiberaceae plant whose rhizome yields diverse terpenoids and whose terpene synthases are characterized in this study.
Aliases: Zingiber officinale
- sesquiterpenoids
C15 terpene natural products that are major rhizome constituents of ginger and turmeric, including zingiberene and sesquiphellandrene.
Aliases: sesquiterpenes
- terpene synthases
Enzymes that catalyze formation of terpene compounds, here encompassing mono- and sesquiterpene synthases identified and characterized from ginger and turmeric.
Aliases: monoterpene synthases, sesquiterpene synthases, TPS
- turmeric
Curcuma longa, a Zingiberaceae plant whose rhizome produces abundant sesquiterpenoids including turmerones.
Aliases: Curcuma longa
- turmerones
The most abundant sesquiterpenoids in turmeric rhizomes, comprising (+)-α-turmerone and (+)-β-turmerone, derived oxidatively from zingiberene and sesquiphellandrene.
Aliases: (+)-α-turmerone, (+)-β-turmerone, α-turmerone, β-turmerone
- α-zingiberene/β-sesquiphellandrene oxidase
An oxidase that converts (−)-α-zingiberene and (−)-β-sesquiphellandrene into turmerone intermediates in turmeric.
- α-zingiberene/β-sesquiphellandrene synthase
A novel bifunctional sesquiterpene synthase discovered in this study that forms the predominant sesquiterpenoids in ginger and turmeric rhizomes.
REFERENCES
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