PAL Activity (pal + activity)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Contents of Total Phenolics and Ferulic Acid, and PAL Activity during Water Potential Changes in Leaves of Maize Single-Cross Hybrids of Different Drought Tolerance

JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 2 2008
T. Hura
Abstract The aim of this study was to determine whether the resistance and/or sensitivity to drought stress, can be attributed to the level of phenolic compounds in the leaves of maize genotypes. The experiments were carried out on seedlings of three maize genotypes characterized by different levels of drought resistance. Experiments with three periods of drought were conducted (8, 11 and 14 days), to obtain plants with different levels of water potential in leaves, which induced changes in the total phenolic content and ferulic acid, and l -phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity. Only for the drought-resistant genotype Tina, was the low water potential found to be correlated with the high level of the total phenolic content and ferulic acid, which is the main source of blue fluorescence emissions. Moreover, only for Tina were the highest intensities of blue fluorescence emission correlated with the low water potential in leaves. The phenolic compounds present in leaf tissues can protect the deeper situated mesophyll, by absorbing light reaching the leaf and transforming it into a blue fluorescence. Phenolic compounds can, in this way, function as photoprotectors limiting the excitation of chlorophyll during conditions of water deficit in leaves. [source]


REGULATION OF PHENYLALANINE AMMONIA-LYASE ENZYME IN ANNONA FRUIT: KINETIC CHARACTERISTICS AND INHIBITORY EFFECT OF AMMONIA

JOURNAL OF FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2007
R. MALDONADO
ABSTRACT In this work, we analyzed the kinetic properties of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) extracted from "cherimoya" (Annona cherimola Mill.) fruits ripened at ambient temperature (20C) and stored under several environmental conditions, including high CO2 levels (20%) and low temperature (6C). The effect of different ammonia-related compounds on cherimoya PAL activity was also evaluated. PAL exhibited two different Kmvalues for L-phenylalanine (L-Phe ) and negative substrate cooperativity, with Hill coefficient (napp) values reaching 0.64 and 0.71 for low temperature and high CO2 levels, respectively. The kinetic analysis revealed that ammonia produced mixed inhibition of PAL enzyme, with inhibition constants (Ki and Ki,) values of 0.57 ± 0.2 mM and 2.54 ± 0.2 mM. We propose that the regulation of PAL by ammonia inhibition and the negative cooperativity may be essential in adjusting the active phenylpropanoid metabolism in Annonas to the requirement of L-Phe and in consequence, to the carbon skeleton demand for other anabolic pathways. [source]


Soil moisture stress-induced alterations in bioconstituents determining tea quality

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 12 2003
PR Jeyaramraja
Abstract The impact of water stress on the biochemical constituents that determine black tea quality was investigated. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity was highest in the drought tolerant ,Assam' cultivar UPASI-2, followed by UPASI-8 and UPASI-9, under non-stress conditions. Under soil moisture stress a reduction in PAL activity was found in all three clones investigated. A strong positive correlation was observed between an increase in soil moisture deficit and a decrease in PAL activity. Lower PAL activity correlated well with lower synthesis of flavanols such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG), which are important precursors of theaflavin-3,3,-digallate that determines final tea quality. Altered synthesis of EGCG and ECG could be due to their molecular rearrangement at elevated leaf temperature during drought. Synthesis of quality constituents such as gallic acid and caffeine declined significantly owing to both drought and waterlogging stress. The reduction in gallic acid due to water stress could lead to lower synthesis of theaflavin fractions such as epitheaflavic acid, epitheaflavic acid-3,-gallate and theaflavic acid and, thereby, quality deterioration. Similarly to drought, flooding stress was also found to alter the biochemical constituents necessary for tea quality. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Isolation and characterization of a wound inducible phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene (LsPAL1) from Romaine lettuce leaves

PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM, Issue 3 2004
Reinaldo Campos
Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) catalyses the first step controlling the rate of phenylpropanoid metabolism. Wounding is a ubiquitous stress in nature and in the harvesting and preparation of fruits and vegetables that induces an increase in PAL activity, an accumulation of phenolic compounds and subsequent tissue browning. A wound-inducible PAL gene (LsPAL1) was isolated from Romaine lettuce by RT-PCR. The putative protein encoded by LsPAL1 is similar to predictive polypeptides sequences for other PALs. The kinetics of PAL mRNA accumulation is similar to those of induced PAL enzyme activity, with enzyme activity following mRNA accumulation by 12 h. Wound-induced PAL transcripts accumulated in cells close to the wound sites. Tissue printing showed that PAL mRNA was associated with tissue next to the epidermis and vascular bundles. A heterologous PAL protein was expressed in E. coli and was found to show significant PAL activity. [source]


Growth-Promoting Nitrogen Nutrition Affects Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Young Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) Leaves

PLANT BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2005
T. Strissel
Abstract: Enhanced shoot growth and a decrease in flavonoid concentration in apple trees grown under high nitrogen (N) supply was observed in previous studies, along with increasing scab susceptibility of cultivar "Golden Delicious" after high N nutrition. Several hypotheses have suggested that there is a trade-off between primary and secondary metabolism because of competition for common substrates, but nothing is known about regulation at the enzyme level. In this study, a set of experiments was performed to elucidate the effect of N nutrition on the activities of key enzymes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase [PAL], chalcone synthase/chalcone isomerase [CHS/CHI}, flavanone 3-hydroxylase [FHT], flavonol synthase [FLS], dihydroflavonol 4-reductase [DFR]) and the accumulation of different groups of phenylpropanoids. The inhibition of flavonoid accumulation by high N nutrition could be confirmed, but the influence of N supply on the flavonoid enzymes CHS/CHI, FHT, DFR, and FLS was not evident. However, PAL activity seems to be downregulated, thus forming a bottleneck resulting in a generally decreased flavonoid accumulation. Furthermore, the response of the scab-resistant cultivar "Rewena" to high N nutrition was not as strong as that of the susceptible cultivar "Golden Delicious". [source]


Changes in abscisic acid, salicylic acid and phenylpropanoid concentrations during cold acclimation of androgenic forms of Festulolium (Festuca pratensis × Lolium multiflorum) in relation to resistance to pink snow mould (Microdochium nivale)

PLANT BREEDING, Issue 4 2009
E. Pociecha
Abstract We investigated changes in concentrations of abscisic (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA), phenolic compounds and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity in relation to cold-induced tolerance of four androgenic genotypes of Festulolium (Festuca × Lolium hybrids) to frost and to the snow mould fungus Microdochium nivale. Cold acclimation increased frost tolerance and resistance to snow mould. Resistant genotypes were characterized by higher ABA concentrations during the first 54 h of cold acclimation and lower concentrations of SA than susceptible genotypes. After cold acclimation, the content of phenolics was significantly lower in genotypes tolerant to frost and M. nivale infection than in susceptible genotypes, while PAL activity was significantly higher. Signalling networks controlling cold acclimation to frost (abiotic) and mould infection (biotic) appears to involve increases in foliar concentrations of ABA and decreases in the SA level during successful cold acclimation. Higher PAL activity and lower concentrations of phenolic compounds also appear to be associated with enhanced tolerance to frost and fungal attack. [source]


Alterations in Taxol Production in Plant Cell Culture via Manipulation of the Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase Pathway

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 6 2002
Michelle C. Brincat
One approach to increasing secondary metabolite production in plant cell culture is to manipulate metabolic pathways to utilize more resources toward production of one desired compound or class of compounds, such as diverting carbon flux from competing secondary pathways. Since phenylalanine provides both the phenylisoserine side chain and the benzoyl moiety at C-2 of Taxol, we speculated that blockage of the phenylpropanoid pathway might divert phenylalanine into Taxol biosynthesis. We used specific enzyme inhibitors to target the first enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), the critical control point for conversion of l -phenylalanine to trans -cinnamic acid. Cinnamic acid acted quickly in reducing PAL activity by 40,50%, without affecting total protein levels, but it generally inhibited the taxane pathway, reducing Taxol by 90% of control levels. Of the taxanes produced, 13-acetyl-9-dihydro-baccatin III and 9-dihydrobaccatin III doubled as a percentage of total taxanes in C93AD and CO93P cells treated with 0.20 and 0.25 mM cinnamic acid, when all other taxanes were lowered. The PAL inhibitor ,-aminooxyacetic acid (AOA) almost entirely shut down Taxol production at both 0.5 and 1.5 mM, whereas l -,-aminooxy-,-phenylpropionic acid (AOPP) had the opposite effect, slightly enhancing Taxol production at 1 ,M but having no effect at 10 ,M. The discrepancy in the effectiveness of AOA and AOPP and the lack of effect with addition of phenylalanine or benzoic acid derivatives further indicates that the impact of cinnamic acid on Taxol is related not to its effect on PAL but rather to a specific effect on the taxane pathway. On the basis of these results, a less direct route for inhibiting the phenylpropanoid pathway may be required to avoid unwanted side effects and potentially enhance Taxol production. [source]