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Enzymes and genes involved in the betalain biosynthesis in
higher plants
Xiao-Hong Han, Zhao-Jian Gao and Xing-Guo Xiao*
State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry,
College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural
University, Beijing, 100094 China.
*Corresponding author.
E-mail: xiaoxg@cau.edu.cn
or xiaoxg06@gmail.com.
Tel:
+86-10-62731324.
Fax: +86-10-62733491.
Accepted 30 April, 2009 |
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Betalains, a class of
water-soluble nitrogen-containing pigments, replace
anthocyanins and serve the analogous functions in 13
families of the order, caryophyllales. They modulate the
attractive appearance of plants and protect them against
destructive oxidative damage. Their antioxidant roles,
radical scavenging properties in human health and their
potential uses in food and pharmaceutical industries have
made significant progress achieved in the detection,
purification, quantification, structure elucidation of
betalains, and in particular in the understanding of
biosynthetic pathways of the pigments, the enzymes and their
genes involved in the pathways. In this paper, major
progress in betalain biosynthesis and the enzymes and genes
involved in the biosynthetic pathways in higher plant are
reviewed, and the perspectives discussed.
Key words:
Betalain, biosynthesis, tyrosinase, DOPA dioxygenase,
glucosyltransferase, betacyanin, betaxanthin. |
