Grass lignins can contain up to 10% to 15% by weight of p-coumaric esters. This acylation is performed on monolignols under the catalysis of p-coumaroyl-coenzyme A monolignol transferase (PMT). To study the impact of p-coumaroylation on lignification, we first introduced the Brachypodium distachyon Bradi2g36910 (BdPMT1) gene into Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) under the control of the const...

Lignin engineering is a promising strategy to optimize lignocellulosic plant biomass for use as a renewable feedstock for agro-industrial applications. Current efforts focus on engineering lignin with monomers that are not normally incorporated into wild-type lignins. Here we describe an Arabidopsis line in which the lignin is derived to a major extent from a non-traditional monomer. The combin...

Particulate and soluble fractions from leaves of Sorghum, Spinacia (spinach), and Coleus, capable of metabolizing l-phenylalanine to cinnamate or to caffeate, are also able to convert l-and d-phenylalanine to phenylacetate. Since cinnamate and phenylacetate are not effectively separated in commonly used chromatographic solvents, some of the isotropic assays used for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase ...

THE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF THE TITLE COMPOUND (SYSTEMATIC NAME: 2-amino-1-methyl-4-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-3-ium 3-phenyl-prop-2-enoate), C(4)H(8)N(3)O(+)·C(9)H(7)O(2) (-), is stabilized by N-H⋯O hydrogen bonding. Cations are linked to anions to form ion pairs with an R(2) (2)(8) ring motif. These ion pairs are connected through a C(2) (2)(6) chain motif extending along the c axis of the unit...

Two NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase-encoding cDNAs were isolated from an Arabidopsis cDNA library by metabolic interference in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant disrupted for its endogenous cpr1 gene. ATR1 encodes a protein of 692 amino acids, while ATR2 encodes either a 712-residue protein (ATR2-1), or a 702-residue protein (ATR2-2) depending on the choice of the initiation codon. Comparative ...

Salicylic acid (SA) is a key endogenous component of local and systemic disease resistance in plants. In this study, we investigated the role of benzoic acid (BA) as precursor of SA biosynthesis in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv Samsun NN) plants undergoing a hypersensitive response following infection with tobacco mosaic virus or in tobacco cell suspensions elicited with beta-megaspermin, an el...

Resveratrol is the most important stilbene phytoalexin synthesized naturally or induced in plants, as a part of their defense mechanism. Grapes and their derivative products, including juice and wine, are the most important natural sources of resveratrol, consisting of notably higher amounts than other natural sources like peanuts. Consumption of red wine with its presence of resveratrol explai...

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic metabolic disease in which the decrease or loss of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) activity results in elevated, neurotoxic levels of phenylalanine (Phe). Due to many obstacles, PAH enzyme replacement therapy is not currently an option. Treatment of PKU with an alternative enzyme, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), was first proposed in the 1970s. However, iss...

Hydroxy amino acids (HAAs) are of unique value in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry with antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, anticancer properties. At present, hydroxylated most studied tryptophan, lysine, aspartic acid, leucine, proline, etc., some their derivatives. The hydroxylation is inextricably linked to catalysis various biological enzymes, such as tryptophan hydroxylase, L-pip...