Functional characterization of terpene synthases from four endophytic xylariaceae

Endophytic fungi are ubiquitous plant endosymbionts that establish complex and poorly understood relationships with their host organisms. Many endophytic fungi are known to produce a wide spectrum of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with potential energy applications, compounds that have been described as ‘myco-diesel’. Many of these myco-diesel hydrocarbons are terpenes,  a chemically diverse class of compounds produced by many plants, fungi, and bacteria. Due to their high energy densities,  terpenes such as pinene and bisabolene are actively being investigated as potential ‘drop-in’ biofuels for replacing diesel and rocket fuel. In this study, we characterized 26 terpene synthases (TS) derived from four endophytic fungi known to produce myco-diesel hydrocarbons. The TS genes were expressed in E. coli and their product profiles were determined using Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME) and GC-MS. Of the 26 TS profiled, 12 were functional, with the majority of them exhibiting both monoterpene and sesquiterpene synthase activity.