A new path for terpenoid biosynthesis

Triterpenes are C30 organic compounds abundantly found in all living organisms. Although previously believed to be exclusively produced from squalene or oxidosqualene, a recent report by Tao and colleagues describes a new triterpene biosynthetic route involving the cyclization of the precursor hexaprenyl diphosphate (HexPP) by unprecedented bifunctional terpene synthase (TS) enzymes.