Facilitation of diphosphate group elimination from geranyl diphosphate by magnesium ion chelation in cyclic monoterpenoid biosynthesis
Abstract
The role of divalent metal ions in the biosynthesis of cyclic monoterpenoids has been investigated by an analysis of the 31P and 13C NMR spectra of geranyl diphosphate (GPP) in the presence and in the absence of Mg2+. This study revealed that Mg2+ binds to the diphosphate moiety of GPP in the ratio of 1 : 1, equidistantly from both phosphorus atoms, and that Mg2+ chelation weakens the C(1 )–O(5) bond of GPP, facilitating elimination of the diphosphate group.