Following hydrolysis of this indole alkaloid ester the carboxylic acid decarboxylates spontaneously giving the sarpagan skeleton. The enzyme also acts on akuammidine aldehyde (the 16-epimer of polyneuridine aldehyde).
The gene encoding polyneuridine aldehyde esterase of monoterpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis in plants is an ortholog of the alpha/betahydrolase super family.
Mattern-Dogru E, Ma X, Hartmann J, Decker H, Stockigt J
Title
Potential active-site residues in polyneuridine aldehyde esterase, a central enzyme of indole alkaloid biosynthesis, by modelling and site-directed mutagenesis.