Plant enzymology, development

It is difficult to exhaustively cover the vast, exciting, and rapidly developing field of enzymology of plant biopolymers in a short introductory review. However, the chapters that follow this introduction will deal in depth with various aspects of eiu mology of plant polymers. Potential applications and improvements are many and through dedicated research and development efforts new industrial eiu me-based processes can become a reality in the future. 

Transporters, particularly those carrying nonlipophilic species across biomembranes or model membranes, can be regarded as vectorial catalysts (and are also called carriers, translocators, permeases, pumps, and ports [e.g., symports and antiports]). Many specialized approaches and techniques have been developed to characterize such systems. This is reflected by the fact that there are currently twenty-three volumes in the Methods in Enzymology series (vols. 21,22,52-56,81,88,96-98,125-127,156-157, 171-174, and 191-192) devoted to biomembranes and their constituent proteins. Chapters in each of these volumes will be of interest to those investigating transport kinetics. Other volumes are devoted to ion channels (207), membrane fusion techniques (220 and 221), lipids (14, 35, 71, and 72), plant cell membranes (148), and a volume on the reconstitution of intracellular transport (219). See Ion Pumps... 

In 1980, Lea and Miflin discussed the transport and metabolism of asparagine and other nitrogen compounds within the plant. Since that time there have been major developments in the study of asparagine breakdown but the precise enzymology of asparagine synthesis in green leaves has still not been established (Sieciechowicz et al, 1988a). 

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