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The Biosynthesis and Biological Significance of Prenols and Their Phosphorylated Derivatives

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Book cover Lipids and Lipid Polymers in Higher Plants

Abstract

The biosynthesis of all prenyl lipids involves the intermediary formation of one or more prenyl pyrophosphates. The basic principles of the pathways were first established by the studies of Bloch, Cornforth, Lynen, Popjak, and others on squalene biosynthesis in preparations of mammalian liver and of yeast. In higher plants the general skeleton of the pathways appears to be much the same, but more detailed aspects are complicated by a large range of specialised products that are often restricted to a few species. Elucidation of biosynthetic pathways in plants has also frequently been beset by technical difficulties peculiar to this source of tissue. Several reviews relating to earlier aspects of isoprenoid biosynthesis in general and including plant work are recommended to the reader [14, 20, 59]. This review summarises briefly this earlier material with reference to some recent relevant original papers and then deals with a few special aspects of the subject matter.

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  1. Botanisches Institut II, Universität Karlsruhe, Kaiserstraße 12, 7500, Karlsruhe, Federal Republic of Germany

    Manfred Tevini  & Hartmut K. Lichtenthaler  & 

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Hemming, F.W. (1977). The Biosynthesis and Biological Significance of Prenols and Their Phosphorylated Derivatives. In: Tevini, M., Lichtenthaler, H.K. (eds) Lipids and Lipid Polymers in Higher Plants. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-66632-2_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-66632-2_10

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