Delta cadinene synthase

In enzymology, a (+)-delta-cadinene synthase (EC 4.2.3.13) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction

Hence, this enzyme has one substrate, 2-trans,6-trans-farnesyl diphosphate, and two products, (+)-delta-cadinene and diphosphate.

This enzyme belongs to the family of lyases, specifically those carbon-oxygen lyases acting on phosphates. The systematic name of this enzyme class is 2-trans,6-trans-farnesyl-diphosphate diphosphate-lyase (cyclizing, (+)-delta-cadinene-forming). This enzyme participates in terpenoid biosynthesis. It employs one cofactor, magnesium.

Delta-cadinene synthase, a sesquiterpene cyclase, is an enzyme expressed in plants that catalyzes a cyclization reaction in terpenoid biosynthesis. The enzyme cyclizes farnesyl diphosphate to delta-cadinene and releases pyrophosphate.

Delta-cadinene synthase is one of the key steps in the synthesis of gossypol, a toxic terpenoid produced in cotton seeds. Recently, cotton plants that stably underexpress the enzyme in seeds have been developed using RNA interference techniques, producing a plant that had been proposed as a rich source of dietary protein for developing countries.