Delta-cadinene synthase

{{infobox enzyme

| Name = (+)-δ-cadinene synthase

| EC_number = 4.2.3.13

| CAS_number = 166800-09-5

| GO_code = 0047461

| image =

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| caption =

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The enzyme (+)-δ-cadinene synthase (EC 4.2.3.13) catalyzes the chemical reaction

:(2E,6E)-farnesyl diphosphate $\backslash rightleftharpoons$ (+)-δ-cadinene + 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 (2E,6E)-farnesyl-diphosphate diphosphate-lyase (cyclizing, (+)-δ-cadinene-forming). This enzyme participates in terpenoid biosynthesis. It employs one cofactor, magnesium.

δ-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 δ-cadinene and releases pyrophosphate.

δ-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.{{cite journal | vauthors = Sunilkumar G, Campbell L, Puckhaber L, Stipanovic R, Rathore K | year = 2006 | title = Engineering cottonseed for use in human nutrition by tissue-specific reduction of toxic gossypol | journal = Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | volume = 103 | issue = 48| pages = 18054–9 | doi = 10.1073/pnas.0605389103 | pmid = 17110445 | pmc=1838705| doi-access = free }}