In the typical isoprenoid-biosynthesis pathway, condensation of the universal C(5)-unit precursors isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) occurs via the common intermediates prenyl pyrophosphates (C(10)-C(20)). The diversity of isoprenoids reflects differences in chain length, cyclization and further additional modification after cyclization. In contrast, the biosynthesis of 2-methylisonorneol (2-MIB), which is responsible for taste and odour problems in drinking water, is unique in that it primes the enzymatic methylation of geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP) before cyclization, which is catalyzed by an S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferase (GPPMT). The substrate of GPPMT contains a nonconjugated olefin and the reaction mechanism is expected to be similar to that of the steroid methyltransferase (SMT) family. Here, structural analysis of GPPMT in complex with its cofactor and substrate revealed the mechanisms of substrate recognition and possible enzymatic reaction. Using the structures of these complexes, methyl-group transfer and the subsequent proton-abstraction mechanism are discussed. GPPMT and SMTs contain a conserved glutamate residue that is likely to play a role as a general base. Comparison with the reaction mechanism of the mycolic acid cyclopropane synthase (MACS) family also supports this result. This enzyme represented here is the first model of the enzymatic C-methylation of a nonconjugated olefin in the isoprenoid-biosynthesis pathway. In addition, an elaborate system to avoid methylation of incorrect substrates is proposed.

The biosynthetic pathway of the off-flavour terpenoid alcohol 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) requires geranyl pyrophosphate methyltransferase (GPPMT) to methylate GPP before the cyclization reaction. GPPMT is the first example of an S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferase that acts on general intermediates such as geranyl pyrophosphate and farnesyl pyrophosphate in isoprenoid biosynthetic pathways. In this study, recombinant GPPMT was overproduced, purified and crystallized in the absence and presence of cofactor, cofactor analogue and substrate. Well diffracting crystals of apo GPPMT containing one molecule in the asymmetric unit were obtained and the structure of this form was solved by the molecular-replacement method. Two crystal forms of the tertiary complex with GPP and sinefungin were also obtained. Structure analysis of these crystals is currently under way in order to understand the enzyme reaction mechanism.

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The name of one of the authors in the article by Ariyawutthiphanet al.[(2012),Acta Cryst.D68, 1558–1569] is corrected.