Differential Stereocontrolled Formation of Tricyclic Triterpenes by Mutation of Tyrosine 99 of the Oxidosqualene-Lanosterol Cyclase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

The function of the Tyr99 residue from Saccharomyces cerevisiae oxidosqualene-lanosterol cyclase (ERG7) was analyzed by constructing deletion and site-saturated mutants. Two truncated intermediates, (13 alpha H)-isomalabarica-14Z,17E,21-trien-3 beta-ol and (13 alpha H)-isomalabarica-14E,17E,21-trien-3 beta-ol, were isolated from the ERG7(Y99X) mutants. These results suggest that the functional role of ERG7(Y99) is to affect both chair-boat 6-6-5 tricyclic Markovnikov C-14 cation stabilization and the stereochemistry of the protons at the C-15 position for subsequent deprotonation. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)