Biosynthesis and Regulation of Secondary Terpenoid Metabolism in Plants

As the most diverse natural organic compounds, plant secondary metabolites play critical roles in regulating plant growth and development, facilitating environmental adaptation and defending against insects and pathogens. Terpenoids constitute one of the largest families of secondary metabolites, and have important physiological and ecological functions. Some of them even show great pharmaceutical values. In recent decades, great achievements have been made in isolation and characterization of terpenoids, elucidation of their biosynthetic pathways and regulation mechanisms, as well as genetic engineering. This review discusses recent progress in terpenoid metabolism and regulation.