Abstract 2728 Unlocking the Terpene Treasure Trove: Discovering Biosynthetic Pathways in an Octocoral

Octocorals are a rich source of marine terpenoids and the genes responsible for producing these animal natural products (NP) are often encoded in biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). In this study, we unlock the terpene biosynthetic potential of Capnella spicata through genome mining and enzymatic characterization. Using a genome-mining approach, we identified ten putative terpene cyclases in the C. spicata genome. Each enzyme was cloned, expressed in a heterologous host, and subjected to functional assays to determine its catalytic activity and product profile.