Taxadiene synthase

In enzymology, a taxadiene synthase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction


 * geranylgeranyl diphosphate $$\rightleftharpoons$$ taxa-4,11-diene + diphosphate

Hence, this enzyme has one substrate, geranylgeranyl diphosphate, and two products, taxa-4,11-diene and 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 geranylgeranyl-diphosphate diphosphate-lyase (cyclizing, taxa-4,11-diene-forming). Other names in common use include geranylgeranyl-diphosphate diphosphate-lyase (cyclizing,, and taxadiene-forming). This enzyme participates in diterpenoid biosynthesis.