Metabolic engineering of p-hydroxybenzylglucosinolate in Arabidopsis by expression of the cyanogenic CYP79A1 from Sorghum bicolor

Plant J. 1999 Dec;20(6):663-71. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-313x.1999.00642.x.

Abstract

Glucosinolates are natural products in cruciferous plants, including Arabidopsis thaliana. CYP79A1 is the cytochrome P450 catalysing the conversion of tyrosine to p-hydroxyphenylacetaldoxime in the biosynthesis of the cyanogenic glucoside dhurrin in sorghum. Both glucosinolates and cyanogenic glucosides have oximes as intermediates. Expression of CYP79A1 in A. thaliana results in the production of high levels of the tyrosine-derived glucosinolate p-hydroxybenzylglucosinolate, which is not a natural constituent of A. thaliana. This provides further evidence that the enzymes have low substrate specificity with respect to the side chain. The ability of the cyanogenic CYP79A1 to integrate itself into the glucosinolate pathway has important implications for an evolutionary relationship between cyanogenic glucosides and glucosinolates, and for the possibility of genetic engineering of novel glucosinolates.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / genetics*
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / metabolism*
  • Edible Grain / genetics*
  • Edible Grain / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression
  • Genes, Plant
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Glucosinolates / biosynthesis*
  • Plants, Genetically Modified

Substances

  • 4-hydroxybenzylglucosinolate
  • Glucosinolates
  • cytochrome P-450 CYP9A1
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System