Phenylpropanoids methylation

Esterase, pectin RtDCii9 Ethanolamine, phosphatidyl PpCl96 Ethylamine Rt iDC199 Eugenin Call Tiss , Rpci56 Eugenol methyl ether phenylpropanoid Fr EO 1.23%dco90... 

Gauthier, A., Gulick, P.J., and Ibrahim, R.K., Characterization of two cDNA clones which encode 0-methyltransferases for the methylation of both fiavonoid and phenylpropanoid compounds. 

Some of the pathways of animal and bacterial metabolism of aromatic amino acids also are used in plants. However, quantitatively more important are the reactions of the phenylpropanoid pathway,173-1743 which is initiated by phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (Eq. 14-45).175 As is shown at the top of Fig. 25-8, the initial product from phenylalanine is trails-cinnam-ate. After hydroxylation to 4-hydroxycinnamate (p-coumarate) and conversion to a coenzyme A ester,1753 the resulting p-coumaryl-CoA is converted into mono-, di-, and trihydroxy derivatives including anthocyanins (Box 21-E) and other flavonoid compounds.176 The dihydroxy and trihydroxy methylated products are the starting materials for formation of lignins and for a large series of other plant products, many of which impart characteristic fragrances. Some of these are illustrated in Fig. 25-8. 

The general phenylpropanoid pathway links the shikimate pathway to the lignin branch pathway. The latter pathway leads to the formation of a series of hydroxycinnamic acids and hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA esters varying in their degrees of hydroxylation and methylation [5]. 

Sinapate is synthesized via the oxidation of sinapaldehyde (3.79) by an aldehyde dehydrogenase, as described in Section 13 of this chapter. Sinapaldehyde, in turn, is derived from the amino acid phenylalanine (3.27) via the general phenylpropanoid pathway (see Section 7), followed by a number of the hydroxylation and methylation reactions described in Section 10. 

The branch pathway of lignin biosynthesis is shown in Fig. 2. The first steps are shared with the general phenylpropanoid pathway. Cinnamic acid is transformed by hydroxylation and methylation to produce acids with different substitutions on the aromatic ring. The 4-coumaric, ferulic and sinapic acids are then esterified by hydroxycinnamate CoA ligase to produce cinnamyl-CoAs, which are reduced by cinnamyl-CoA reductase (CCR) to produce the three aldehydes. These in turn are reduced by CAD to the three cinnamyl alcohols which are then polymerised into lignins. 

Kauss, H., Krause, K. and Jeblick, W. (1992) Methyl jasmonate conditions parsley suspension cells for increased elicitation of phenylpropanoid defense responses. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 189(1), 304-308. 

Type 1 MTs, currently exclusive for oxygen atoms (OMTs), methylate hydroxyl moieties of phenylpropanoid-based compounds (Fig. 2.3). The phenylpropanoid scaffold is used as a building block for many other types of compounds in the plant. Modification of this basic unit by multiple condensation reactions yields chalcone, flavonoid, isoflavonoid, and pterocarpan skeletons, for example. Flavonoids are ubiquitous in higher plants, where they function as UV protectants,5 defense compounds,6 and stimulators of beneficial mutualistic interactions with microorganisms, insects, and other organisms.7 Isoflavonoid natural products are limited primarily to leguminous plants, where they function as pre-... 

Methylation is one of the most common enzymatic modifications in plant specialized (secondary) metabolism. Almost all classes of plant specialized metabolites are known to be methylated, including amino acids, alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, sugars, purines, sterols, thiols, and flavonoids. The methyl transfer most commonly occurs on C, N, S, or O atoms. 

Fig. 4-1. Examples of classical methods indicating a phenylpropanoid structure of lignin. (A) Permanganate oxidation (methylated spruce lignin) affords veratric acid (3,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid) (1) in a yield of 8% and minor amounts of isohemipinic (4,5-dimethoxyisophtalic acid) (2) and dehydrodiveratric (3) acids. The formation of isohemipinic acid supports the occurrence of condensed structures (e.g., /3-5 or y-5). (B) Nitrobenzene oxidation of softwoods in alkali results in the formation of vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) (4) (about 25% of lignin). Oxidation of hardwoods and grasses results, respectively, in syringaldehyde (3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde) (5) and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (6). (C) Hydrogenolysis yields pro-pylcyclohexane derivatives (7). (D) Ethanolysis yields so-called Hibbert ketones (8,9,10, and 11).

The smell and taste of plants rely on aroma and fragrance compounds, many of which (besides fhe terpenoids) are derived from phenylpropanoid metabolism. In food and cosmetic industry, such fragrance and aroma compounds play an important economical role. Simple phenolic fragrance compounds are, e.g., eugenol, isoeugenol or (methyl)chavicol (Fig. 4.2), the biosynthesis of which has been clarified recently more complex compounds are phenolic esters. Evolutionary aspects of the bios)mthesis of flavours and scents have been reviewed by Gang (2005). 

Biosynthesis of Phenylpropanoids and Related Compounds 21 9 4.4.2.4 Methylation reactions... 

Frick, S. and T.M. Kutchan (1999). Molecular cloning and functional expression of O-methyl-transferases common to isoquinoline alkakoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis Plant J. 17, 329-339. 

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