Requires a divalent metal ion for activity, with Mg2+ being better than Mn2+ [1]. Chrysanthemyl diphosphate is a monoterpene with a non-head-to-tail linkage. It is unlike most monoterpenoids, which are derived from geranyl diphosphate and have isoprene units that are linked head-to-tail. The mechanism of its formation is similar to that of the early steps of squalene and phytoene biosynthesis. Chrysanthemyl diphosphate is the precursor of chrysanthemic acid, the acid half of the pyrethroid insecticides found in chrysanthemums.
