Pinene is a bicyclic monoterpene chemical compound. There are two structural isomers of pinene found in nature: alpha-pinene and beta-pinene. As the name suggests, both forms are important constituents of pine resin; they are also found in the resins of many other conifers, as well as in non-coniferous plants such as camphorweed (Heterotheca) and big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). Both isomers are used by many insects in their chemical communication system. The two isomers of pinene constitute the major component of turpentine (Wikipedia). Both pinene isomers are produced from geranyl pyrophosphate, via cyclisation of linaloyl pyrophosphate followed by loss of a proton from the carbocation equivalent, and is catalyzed by pinene synthase. This enzyme is found in the chloroplast and synthesizes a mixture of the two structural isomers of pinene at a 35:10 ratio (alpha:beta). It has several cofactor binding sites for the metal ions manganese and potassium.

Pinene Biosynthesis References