This enzyme belongs to the family of lyases, specifically those carbon-oxygen lyases acting on phosphates. The systematic name of this enzyme class is (2E,6E)-farnesyl-diphosphate diphosphate-lyase (cyclizing, (+)-δ-cadinene-forming). This enzyme participates in terpenoid biosynthesis. It employs one cofactor, magnesium.
δ-Cadinene synthase is one of the key steps in the synthesis of gossypol, a toxic terpenoid produced in cotton seeds. Recently, cotton plants that stably underexpress the enzyme in seeds have been developed using RNA interference techniques, producing a plant that had been proposed as a rich source of dietary protein for developing countries.[1]
Chen XY, Chen Y, Heinstein P, Davisson VJ (1995). "Cloning, expression, and characterization of (+)-delta-cadinene synthase: a catalyst for cotton phytoalexin biosynthesis". Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 324 (2): 255–66. doi:10.1006/abbi.1995.0038. PMID8554317.
Davis EM, Tsuji J, Davis GD, Pierce ML, Essenberg M (1996). "Purification of (+)-delta-cadinene synthase, a sesquiterpene cyclase from bacteria-inoculated cotton foliar tissue". Phytochemistry. 41 (4): 1047–55. doi:10.1016/0031-9422(95)00771-7. PMID8728715.