1.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl
; 37(16): 2237-2240, 1998 Sep 04.
Artigo
em Inglês
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29711445
RESUMO
Tetracyclic triterpenes (for example, 3) are formed as minor products of the cyclization of squalene (1) by squalene/hopene cyclase; they have also been found in vivo. The identification of these side products offers new insight into the complex biosynthesis of the hopane skeleton, and proves that the enzyme has no absolute control of the conformation of the acyclic substrate squalene and that tetra- and pentacyclic carbocationic intermediates are involved (for example, 2) in the cyclization process.