Polyprenyl Diphosphate Synthases

Abstract
Isoprenoids are the most diverse and abundant compounds occurring in nature. The study of isoprenoid biosynthesis began in order to increase our understanding of the process of cholesterol biosynthesis. The discovery of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP), made independently by Lynen et al.(1958) and Bloch et al.(1959), opened the era of enzymatic studies on the fundamental chain elongation, which starts with the condensation between IPP and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), with elimination of inorganic pyrophosphate. This chain elongation is interesting in that the reactions are regulated to proceed consecutively and terminate precisely at discrete chain lengths according to requirements of organisms. The chain length of the products varies widely from geraniol to natural rubber. In order to understand the mechanism of these reactions, it is essential to learn how many and what kinds of enzymes are involved in such chain elongation reactions.

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