Phenylpropanoid Metabolism

Ragaï K Ibrahim, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada

Published online: April 2001

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0001912

Phenylpropanoid compounds encompass a wide range of structural classes with diverse biological functions; their biosynthesis is associated with normal plant development and is regulated by diverse environmental stimuli. Phenylpropanoid metabolism occupies a central place in the general aromatic metabolism of plants.

Keywords: shikimate pathway; hydroxycinnamic acids; coumarins; lignins; lignans

Scheme 1. The shikimate pathway enzymes: (1) 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP); (2) 3-dehydroquinate (DHQ) synthase; (3) 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase; (4) shikimate oxidoreductase; (5) shikimate kinase; (6) 5-enol-puruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase; (7) chorismate synthase; (8) chorismate mutase; (9) prephenate aminotransferase; (10) arogenate dehydratase; (11) arogenate dehydrogenase; (12) anthranilate synthase; (13) anthranilate P-ribosyltransferase; (14) P-ribosylanthranilate isomerase; (15) indole 3-glycerol-P synthase; (16) tryptophan synthase; P, H2PO3.
Scheme 2. The hydroxycinnamic acids and their derivatives: (1) phenylalanine ammonia-lyase; (2) cinnamate 4-hydroxylase; (3) 4-coumarate 3-hydroxylase; (4) caffeic/5-hydroxyferulic bispecific O-methyltransferase; (5) ferulate 5-hydroxylase.
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 References
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 Further Reading
    Bentley R (1990) The shikimate pathway – a metabolic tree with multiple branches. Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 25: 307–384.
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    book Lewis NG and Davin LB (1999) "Lignans: biosynthesis and function". In: Barton D and Nakanishi K (eds) Comprehensive Natural Products Chemistry, vol. 1, pp. 639–712. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
    Lewis NG and Yamamoto E (1990) Lignin: occurrence, biogenesis and biodegradation. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology 41: 455–496.
    book Lewis NG, Davin LB and Sarkanen S (1999) "The nature and functions of lignins". In: Barton D, Nakanishi K and Meth-Cohn J (eds) Comprehensive Natural Products Chemistry, vol. 3, pp. 617–745. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
    book Luckner M (1990) Secondary Metabolism in Microorganisms, Plants and Animals. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
    Martin C and Pas-Ares J (1997) MYB transcription factors in plants. Trends in Genetics 13: 67–73.

Related Sub-Topics:

Plant Development | Other Biomolecules: Structure, Function, Metabolism | Plant Secondary Metabolism
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Article Title: Phenylpropanoid Metabolism
 
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Ibrahim, Ragaï K(Apr 2001) Phenylpropanoid Metabolism. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0001912]