Two sesquiterpene cyclases from Fusarium fujikuroi were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The first enzyme was inactive because of a critical mutation, but activity was restored by sequence correction through site-directed mutagenesis. The mutated enzyme and two naturally functional homologues from other fusaria converted farnesyl diphosphate into guaia-6,10(14)-diene. The second enzyme produced eremophilene. The absolute configuration of guaia-6,10(14)-diene was elucidated by enantioselective synthesis, while that of eremophilene was evident from the sign of its optical rotation and is opposite to that in plants but the same as in Sorangium cellulosum. The mechanisms of both terpene cyclases were studied with various (13) C- and (2) H-labelled FPP isotopomers.
Keywords: Fusarium fujikuroi; NMR spectroscopy; enzyme mechanisms; isotopic labelling; terpenes.
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