Arabidopsis thaliana LUP1 converts oxidosqualene to multiple triterpene alcohols and a triterpene diol

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ol006016b

lupeol lupeol, germanicol, synthase β-amyrin, taxasterol, oxidosqualene → ψ-taraxasterol, and 3,20-dihydroxylupane The Arabidopsis thaliana LUP1 gene encodes an enzyme that converts oxidosqualene to pentacyclic triterpenes. Lupeol and β-amyrin were previously reported as LUP1 products. Further investigation described here uncovered the additional products germanicol, taraxasterol, ψ-taraxasterol, and 3,20-dihydroxylupane. These results suggest that the 80 known C₃₀H₅₀O compounds that are structurally consistent with being oxidosqualene cyclase products may be derived from fewer than 80 enzymes and that some C₃₀H₅₂O₂ compounds may be direct cyclization products of oxidosqualene.