Biosynthetic Pathways of Indole Diterpenoids
Summary
Indole diterpenoids are a diverse class of fungal secondary metabolites characterised by a diterpene skeleton fused to an indole moiety. Biosynthesis initiates with the condensation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) and indole-3-glycerol phosphate (IGP) to form 3-geranylgeranylindole, which undergoes a series of cyclisations, oxidations and prenylations. These transformations are orchestrated by clustered genes encoding prenyltransferases, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases and other tailoring enzymes. The modular nature of these pathways permits extensive structural diversification, yielding architectures such as paxilline, lolitrem and aflatrem families. Detailed genetic and enzymatic studies have clarified late-stage steps, revealing how specific P450s mediate hydroxylation and ring rearrangements. The structural variety of indole diterpenoids underpins a broad spectrum of bioactivities, including ion channel modulation, antimicrobial, anticancer and neuroprotective effects. Insight into these pathways has enabled heterologous expression, pathway engineering and synthetic biology approaches, pointing to applications in drug discovery and agricultural biotechnology.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Biosynthetic Pathways of Indole Diterpenoids publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in biosynthetic pathways of indole diterpenoids across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP): C20 isoprenoid precursor for diterpene synthesis.
Indole-3-glycerol phosphate (IGP): Biosynthetic intermediate providing the indole moiety in indole diterpenoids.
Prenylation: Enzymatic attachment of isoprene units to core molecules, diversifying chemical structures.
Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase: Heme-dependent enzyme catalysing regio- and stereospecific oxidation steps.
Dimeric indole diterpenoid: Compound formed by covalent linkage of two indole diterpene monomers, often with distinct bioactivities.
References
- Indole Diterpenes from Mangrove Sediment-Derived Fungus Penicillium sp. UJNMF0740 Protect PC12 Cells against 6-OHDA-Induced Neurotoxicity via Regulating the PI3K/Akt Pathway. Marine Drugs (2023).
- The first dimeric indole-diterpenoids from a marine-derived Penicillium sp. fungus and their potential for anti-obesity drugs. Marine Life Science & Technology (2024).
- The chemical structures and biological activities of indole diterpenoids. Natural Products and Bioprospecting (2023).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.