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, aristolochene-forming). Other names in common use include sesquiterpene cyclase, trans,trans-farnesyl diphosphate aristolochene-lyase, trans,trans-farnesyl-diphosphate diphosphate-lyase (cyclizing and aristolochene-forming). This enzyme participates in terpenoid biosynthesis.
As of late 2007, two structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes 2E4O and 2OA6. They are both notable for the very high helix content of the structure.
Cane DE, Prabhakaran PC, Oliver JS, McIlwaine DB (1990). "Aristolochene biosynthesis. Stereochemistry of the deprotonation steps in the enzymatic cyclization of farnesyl pyrophosphate". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 112 (8): 3209–3210. doi:10.1021/ja00164a051.
Noguchi H, Rawlings BJ (1989). "Aristolochene biosynthesis and enzymatic cyclization of farnesyl pyrophosphate". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 111 (24): 8914–8916. doi:10.1021/ja00206a022.
Calvert MJ, Ashton PR, Allemann RK (2002). "Germacrene A is a product of the aristolochene synthase-mediated conversion of farnesylpyrophosphate to aristolochene". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 124 (39): 11636–41. doi:10.1021/ja020762p. PMID12296728.
