Cembrene A, or sometimes neocembrene, is a natural monocyclic

diterpene Diterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of four isoprene units, often with the molecular formula C20H32. They are biosynthesized by plants, animals and fungi via the HMG-CoA reductase pathway, with geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate being ...

isolated from corals of the genus '' Nephthea''. It is a colorless oil with a faint wax-like odor. Cembrene A itself has little importance as a chemical entity, being a trail

pheromone A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...

for termites; however, the chemical structure of cembrene is central to a very wide variety of other natural products found both in plants and in animals.''Terpenes: Flavors, Fragrances, Pharmaca, Pheromones'', Eberhard Breitmaier, page 7. Cembrenes are biosynthesized by macrocyclization of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate.

References

{{reflist Diterpenes Alkene derivatives Insect ecology Insect pheromones Cycloalkenes