Coumarate:CoA ligase

Kuhn, D.N., Chappell, J., Boudet, A. Hahlbrock, K. (1984). Induction of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and 4-coumarate CoA ligase mRNAs in cultured plant cells by UV light or fungal elicitor. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 81,1102-6. 

Fig. 12. Tentative model of the signal transduction chain that links the perception of pectic fragments to defense responses in carrot cells. Abbreviations apy, heterotrimeric G protein CaM, calmodulin 4CL, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase CTX, cholera toxin FC, fusicoccine GDP-P-S and GTP-y-S, guanosine 5 -0-(2-thiodiphosphate) and guanosine 5 -0-(3-thiotriphosphate) IP3, 1,4,5-inositol trisphosphate PAL, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase PLC, phospholipase C PR, pathogenesis related PTX, pertussis toxin Rc, receptor SP, staurosporine. Activation and inhibition are symbolized by + and -respectively.

Figure 5.4. Abbreviated scheme for biosynthesis of major flavonoid subclasses, showing the primary enzymes and substrates leading to different subclasses. Bold-faced, uppercase abbreviations refer to enzyme names, whereas substrate names are presented in lowercase letters. PAL, phenylalanine ammonia lyase C4H, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase 4CL, 4-coumarate CoA ligase CHS, chalcone synthase CHI, chalcone isomerase CHR, chalcone reductase IPS, isoflavone synthase F3H, flavonone 3-hydroxylase F3 H, flavonoid 3 -hydroxylase F3 5 H, flavonoid 3 5 -hydroxylase FNSI/II, flavone synthase DFR, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase FLS, flavonol synthase ANS, anthocyanidin synthase LAR, leucoanthocyanidin reductase ANR, anthocyanidin reductase UFGT, UDP-glucose flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase. R3 = H or OH. R5 = H or OH. Glc = glucose. Please refer to text for more information.

Figure 6.1 Major branch pathways of flavonoid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. Branch pathways, enzymes, and end products present in other plants but not Arabidopsis are shown in light gray. Abbreviations cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), chalcone isomerase (CHI), chalcone synthase (CHS), 4-coumarate CoA-ligase (4CL), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonoid 3 or 3 5 hydroxylase (F3 H, F3 5 H), leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase (LDOX), leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LCR), O-methyltransferase (OMT), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), rhamnosyl transferase (RT), and UDP flavonoid glucosyl transferase (UFGT).

CL, 4-coumarate CoA ligase CHS, chalcone synthase CHI, chalcone isomerase F3H, flavanone 3-hydroxylase DFR, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase ANS, anthocyanidin synthase FGT, flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase. 

The 4-coumarate CoA ligase (4CL EC 6.2.1.12) enzyme activates 4-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferrulic acid, and (in some cases) sinapic acid by the formation of CoA esters that serve as branch-point metabolites between the phenylpropanoid pathway and the synthesis of secondary metabolites [46, 47]. The reaction has an absolute requirement for Mg " and ATP as cofactors. Multiple isozymes are present in all plants where it has been studied, some of which have variable substrate specificities consistent with a potential role in controlling accumulation of secondary metabolite end-products. Examination of a navel orange EST database (CitEST) for flavonoid biosynthetic genes resulted in the identification of 10 tentative consensus sequences that potentially represent a multi-enzyme family [29]. Eurther biochemical characterization will be necessary to establish whether these genes have 4CL activity and, if so, whether preferential substrate usage is observed. 

Hamberger B, Hahlbrock K (2004) The 4-coumarate CoA ligase gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana comprises one rare, sinapate-activating and three commonly occurring isoenzymes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101(7) 2209-2214... 

Coumaroyl-CoA is produced from the amino acid phenylalanine by what has been termed the general phenylpropanoid pathway, through three enzymatic conversions catalyzed by phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H), and 4-coumarate CoA ligase (4CL). Malonyl-CoA is formed from acetyl-CoA by acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) (Figure 3.2). Acetyl-CoA may be produced in mitochondria, plastids, peroxisomes, and the cytosol by a variety of routes. It is the cytosolic acetyl-CoA that is used for flavonoid biosynthesis, and it is produced by the multiple subunit enzyme ATP-citrate lyase that converts citrate, ATP, and Co-A to acetyl-CoA, oxaloacetate, ADP, and inorganic phosphate. ... 

Hu, W.-J. et al.. Compartmentalized expression of two structurally and functionally distinct 4-coumarate CoA ligase genes in aspen Populus tremuloides). Proc. Natl Acad. Scl USA, 95, 5407, 1998. 

Linderma, C., Fliegmann, J., and Ebel, J., Deletion of a single amino acid residue from different 4-coumarate CoA ligases from soybean results in the generation of new substrate specificities. J. Biol Chem., 27S, 2781, 2003. 

Fig. (1). Schematic view of some branches of phenylpropanoid metabolism. Solid arrows indicate enzymatic reactions with the respective enzyme indicated on the right. PAL, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase C4H, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase 4CL, 4-coumarate CoA ligase CHS, chalcone synthase CF1, chalcone flavavone isomerase F3H, flavanone 3-hydroxylase DFR, dihydroflavonol reductase CHR, chalcone reductase. Broken arrows indicate metabolic branches towards several classes of phenylpropanoids, or several subsequent enzymatic steps. In some cases the enzymes indicated are also involved in other reactions, not shown.

Studies have shown that phenylpropanoid metabolism can be stimulated by ozone. The activity of PAL increased in soybean [91], Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) [92], and parsley (Petroselinum crispum L.) [93] soon after treatment with 150-200 nmol O3 mol 1. Rapid increases in transcript levels for PAL in response to ozone have been observed in parsley [93], Arabidopsis thaliana L. Heynhold [94] and tobacco (Nicoticma tabacum L.) [95]. Transcript levels for 4-coumarate CoA ligase (4CL), the last enzyme in the general phenylpropanoid pathway, increased commensurately with PAL transcripts in ozone-treated parsley seedlings [93]. Phenolic compunds reported to accumulate in leaf tissue in response to ozone include hydroxycinnamic acids, salicylic acid, stilbenes, flavonoids, furanocoumarins, acetophenones, and proanthocyanidins [85, 92, 93, 96, 97]. 

Figure 1.37 Proposed biosynthetic pathway of curcuminoids in tumeric. Enzyme abbreviations CCOMT, caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase 4CL, 4-coumarate CoA ligase CST, shikimate transferase CS3 H, p-coumaroyl 5-O-shikimate 3 -hydroxylase OMT, O-methyltransferase PKS, polyketide synthase. [Adapted from Ramirez-Ahumada et al. (2006)]...

Douglas, C., Hoffmann, H., Schulz, W. Hahlbrock, K. (1987). Structure and elicitor or UV-light-stimulated expression of two 4-coumarate CoA ligase genes in parsley. The EMBO Journal 6, 1189-95. 

Figure 4.1 Current view of the phenylpropanoid metabolism. PAL, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase C4H, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase 4CL, 4-coumarate CoA-ligase HCT, hydroxycinnamoyl-CoAishikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase 3-hydroxylase, 4-hydroxycinnamoylshikimate/quinate 3-hydroxylase.

Endler, A., Martens, S., Wellmarm, F and Matem, U. (2008) Unusually divergent 4-coumarate CoA-ligases from Ruta graveolens L. Plant Mol. Biol, 67, 335-46. 

Schneider, K., Hoevel, K., Witzel, K., Hamberger, B., Schomburg, D., Kombrink, E. and Stuible, H.P. (2003) The substrate specificity-determining amino acid code of 4-coumarate CoA ligase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 100,8601-06. 

Stuible, H.R, Buttner, D., Ehlting, J., Hahlbrock, K. and Kombrink, E. (2000) Mutational analysis of 4-coumarate CoA ligase identifies functionally important amino acids and verifies its close relationship to other adenylate-forming enzymes. FEES Lett., 467,117-22. 

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