Lange BM, Conner CF. Taxanes and taxoids of the genus Taxus - A comprehensive inventory of chemical diversity.
PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2021;
190:112829. [PMID:
34329937 PMCID:
PMC8393860 DOI:
10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112829]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The pseudoalkaloid diterpene Taxol® (paclitaxel) emerged as a best-selling anti-cancer drug in the mid-1990s. The compound attracted considerable interest because of its unique mechanism to stabilize microtubules, thus reducing dynamicity and ultimately promoting mitotic arrest. Taxol was originally isolated from members of the genus Taxus. Over the last 50 years, close to 600 metabolites with taxane scaffolds were isolated from various Taxus species and their structures reported. The present review article provides an overview of the known chemical diversity of taxanes, with an emphasis on the functionalization of diterpene scaffolds. The implications of the occurrence of chemically diverse taxane metabolites for unraveling Taxol biosynthesis and enabling pathway engineering are discussed as well.
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