9724126 Chappell Plant isoprenoids comprise a structurally diverse group of compounds that can be divided into classes of primary and secondary metabolites. Isoprenoids that are primary metabolites include sterols, carotenoids and growth hormones, secondary metabolites include monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes, compounds that are important mediators of plant-environment interactions. The work will continue biochemical/physiological studies of the secondary metabolites in tissue culture. The focus will be on the regulation and activity of two enzymes in the pathway, squalene synthase and sesquiterpene cyclase which are located at branchpoints at which the biochemical pathways diverge leading to different compounds. The analysis also includes analysis of the genes and transcripts for these enzymes.
