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The steroids and sterols in animals are biologically produced from terpenoid precursors. Sometimes terpenoids are added to proteins, e.g., to enhance their attachment to the cell membrane; this is known as isoprenylation.
Biogenetic precursor of all indole alkaloids is the amino acid tryptophan. For most of them, the first synthesis step is decarboxylation of tryptophan to form tryptamine. Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is formed from tryptamine by methylation with the participation of coenzyme of S-adenosyl methionine (SAM).
Farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), also known as farnesyl diphosphate (FDP), is the precursor to all sesquiterpenes, which comprises thousand of compounds. [1] These include all sesquiterpenes as well as sterols and carotenoids . [ 2 ]
The possibility that other terpenes could be used as precursors to produce synthetic polymers has been investigated. Many terpenes have been shown to have pharmacological effects. Terpenes are also components of some traditional medicines, such as aromatherapy, and as active ingredients of pesticides in agriculture. [4]
Geranyl pyrophosphate is the precursor to monoterpenes (and hence monoterpenoids). [2] Elimination of the pyrophosphate group from geranyl pyrophosphate leads to the formation of acyclic monoterpenes such as ocimene and the myrcenes. Hydrolysis of the phosphate groups leads to the prototypical acyclic monoterpenoid geraniol.
GGPP is also the precursor for the synthesis of the phytane by the action of the enzyme geranylgeranyl reductase. This compound is used for the biosynthesis of tocopherols and the phytyl functional group is used in the formation of chlorophyll a , ubiquinones , plastoquinone and phylloquinone .
It is biosynthesized from the common terpenoid precursor, geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP) that undergoes polycyclization catalyzed by sabinene synthase (SabS). [ 4 ] [ 5 ] GPP is formed from the terpenoid synthesis pathway with the starter units, isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP).
Gossypol is a terpenoid aldehyde which is formed metabolically through acetate via the isoprenoid pathway. [10] The sesquiterpene dimer undergoes a radical coupling reaction to form gossypol. [ 11 ] The biosynthesis begins when geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP) and isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) are combined to make the sesquiterpene precursor ...