The enzyme (+)-δ-cadinene synthase (EC 4.2.3.13) catalyzes the chemical reaction This enzyme belongs to the family of lyases, specifically those carbon-oxygen lyases acting on phosphates.
δ-Cadinene synthase, a sesquiterpene cyclase, is an enzyme expressed in plants that catalyzes a cyclization reaction in terpenoid biosynthesis.
The enzyme cyclizes farnesyl diphosphate to δ-cadinene and releases pyrophosphate.
δ-Cadinene synthase is one of the key steps in the synthesis of gossypol, a toxic terpenoid produced in cotton seeds.
Recently, cotton plants that stably underexpress the enzyme in seeds have been developed using RNA interference techniques, producing a plant that had been proposed as a rich source of dietary protein for developing countries.