Planta Med 2008; 74 - PG50
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1084803

Cloning and characterization of pinene synthase from Chamaecyparis formosensis Matsum

FH Chu 1, PM Kuo 2, YR Chen 1, SY Wang 2
  • 1School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
  • 2Department of Forestry, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan

The investigation of terpenes biosynthesis may offer a great contribution for understanding the function of terpenes in the trees. Moreover, the analysis of gene sequences of terpenes synthases (TPS) will be helpful in the exploration of evolution and in the phylogenetic taxonomy. Chamaecyparis formosensis is an endemic precious conifer of Taiwan. To understand the biosynthesis mechanism of terpenes in C. formosensis, a full length of putative mono-TPS named as Cf-Pin, GeneBank accession no. EU099434, was studied. Cf-Pin, obtained by PCR strategy and RACE extension has a 1887-bp ORF, a 53-bp 5' non-coding region, and a 160-bp 3' non-coding region. To identify the function of Cf-Pin, the recombinant protein from E. coli was incubated with GPP. According to GC analysis it produced one major product and three minor products. GC/MS analyses and retention time matching with authentic standards revealed that the major product was pinene. This is the first report of the isolation of any cDNA encoding a mono-TPS from the Cupressaceae conifers.