Biosynthesis of Triterpenoid Natural Products

Triterpenoids are the most numerous and structurally diverse natural products, which are widely distributed in bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. They possess a wide range of biological functions involved in cell membrane construction, signal transduction, protection against pathogens, and so on. Despite the large chemical diversity of triterpenes, they are formed from two linear isoprenoid precursors squalene and oxidosqualene. The huge diversity of triterpenes is attributed to the variety of triterpene synthases and tailoring enzymes. Here, we summarize recent progress in the field of triterpene biosynthesis and give an overview of triterpene biosynthetic pathways, genes and enzymes.