Biochemical Society transactions
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Biochem. Soc. Trans. · Dec 2000
Metabolism of farnesyl diphosphate in tobacco BY-2 cells treated with squalestatin.
Plant isoprenoids represent a large group of compounds with a wide range of physiological functions. In the cytosol, isoprenoids are synthesized via the classical acetate/mevalonate pathway. In this pathway, farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) occupies a central position, from which isoprene units are dispatched to the different classes of isoprenoids, with sterols as the major end products. ⋯ Tobacco cells were also fed exogenous tritiated trans-trans farnesol, the allylic alcohol derived from FPP, in the presence and absence of SQ. Evidence is presented that this compound was incorporated into sterols and ubiquinone Q(10). In the presence of SQ, the sterol pathway was inhibited, but no increase in the radioactivity of ubiquinone was observed, suggesting that this metabolic channel was already saturated under normal conditions.