Biosynthetic pathway for veratryl alcohol in the ligninolytic fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Veratryl alcohol (VA) is a secondary metabolite of white-rot fungi that produce the ligninolytic enzyme lignin peroxidase. VA stabilizes lignin peroxidase, promotes the ability of this enzyme to oxidize a variety of physiological substrates, and is accordingly thought to play a significant role in f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied and Environmental Microbiology 1994-02, Vol.60 (2), p.709-714
Main Authors: Jensen, K A, Evans, K M, Kirk, T K, Hammel, K E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acide benzoique
acido benzoico
alcoholes
alcohols
alcool
aromatic compounds
benzoic acid
biosintesis
biosynthese
biosynthesis
compose aromatique
compuestos aromaticos
Enzymes
fenilalanina
Fungi
Isotopes
metabolite
metabolites
metabolitos
Oxidation
Phanerochaete chrysosporium
phenylalanine
Physiology and Biotechnology
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Summary:Veratryl alcohol (VA) is a secondary metabolite of white-rot fungi that produce the ligninolytic enzyme lignin peroxidase. VA stabilizes lignin peroxidase, promotes the ability of this enzyme to oxidize a variety of physiological substrates, and is accordingly thought to play a significant role in fungal ligninolysis. Pulse-labeling and isotope-trapping experiments have now clarified the pathway for VA biosynthesis in the white-rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The pulse-labeling data, obtained with 14C-labeled phenylalanine, cinnamic acid, benzoic acid, and benzaldehyde, showed that radiocarbon labeling followed a reproducible sequence: it peaked first in cinnamate, then in benzoate and benzaldehyde, and finally in VA. Phenylalanine, cinnamate, benzoate, and benzaldehyde were all efficient precursors of VA in vivo. The isotope-trapping experiments showed that exogenous, unlabeled benzoate and benzaldehyde were effective traps of phenylalanine-derived 14C. These results support a pathway in which VA biosynthesis proceeds as follows: phenylalanine leads to cinnamate leads to benzoate and/or benzaldehyde leads to VA.
ISSN:0099-2240
1098-5336
DOI:10.1128/aem.60.2.709-714.1994