Dr. T. Akhtar's Flashcards
(117 cards)
Primary metabolism
for growth and development, ex fatty acids, amino acids, nucleic acids
secondary metabolism
not directly involed in growth and development ex. isoprenoids, alkaloids, phenolics
name 2 alkoloids used in health
serotonin- makes us happy and helps regulate the GI tract
vinblastine- treats cander
name an alkaloid used in ecology
male butterflieds feed on heliotropiun indicum that produce pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Protexts the butterfly from certain spiders
where are alkaloids found in agriculture>
crooked calf disease–> accumulation of toxis alkaloid species in lupin seeds. (silvery lupine)
how are the alkaloids used in plant defence?
toxic or function as deterrents.
where does the word Alkaloid originate
Arabic work ‘al-qui’ plant from sodium carbonate
what are glucosinolates?
mustard oils, they are sulfur and nitrogen containing plant secondary metabolites.
order brassicales->brassica crops
what are the 3 main classes of glucosinolates?
- Alphatic (Ala, Leu, Ile, Val, Met)
- Aromatic (Phe, Tyr)
- Idololic (Trp)
what are the 3 phases of glucosinolates synthasis?
- elongation by inserting methylene groups to side chain
- core structure by matabolically reconfiguring the amino acid moeity,
- secondary modifications:
why do plants undergo glucosinolate degradation
upon plant damage glucosinolate are degraded to a variety of hydrolysis products that are responsible for all the biological acitvities of this compound class.
explain the steps in glucosinolate degradation
- thioglucoside linkage–myrosinase—> glucose + *agylcone
- algycone–> isothiocyanates/ epithionitriles/ thiocyananates
- ESP dictates nature of degradative products
what are bioactive prodcuts
- isothiocyanate,
- nitrile
- epithionitrile
- oxazollidine-2-thione
what is the glucosinolate-myrosinase system? and do plants avoid the toxicity?
chemical herbivory defence system
plant protects its self by seperating glucosinolates and myrosinase, so that the thioglucoside linkage on glucosionalte cannot convert to agyclone.
what are the degradation products of the glucosinolate-myrosinase system?
- myrosinase and glucocosinolate
what can protect an animal from the toxic effects of glucosionlate?
an ezyme called glucosinolate sulfatse can desulfates the glucosinolates, to no longer be able to be hydrolyzed
what way could you engineer an insert to be resistant to toxic effects of glucosinolates?
- design a desulferizing enzyme
2. a method to permenantly seperate the glucosinolate from the myrosinase
what synthesizeds an isoprenoid?
synthesized from IPP and its isomer DMAPP
what are the two pathways of IPP/DMAPP syntehsis?
MVA (mevalonic acid pathways) and MEP (methylerythritol phosphate pathway)
what are the two IDI isomers in plants and where are they located?
IDI1- plastid and cytosol
IDI2- mitochondria
what is prenultransferase?
its a group of enzymes that catalyze in a “heat-2-toe” condensation of IPP and DMAPP. Additional rounds give longer chains. final chain length determined by specifity of the phenyltransferases.
what are the two types of phenyltransferases
- TPTs add the C5 IPP in the trans configuration–>GPP
2. CPTs add IPP in cis configuration -> NPP.
what are the names for the prenyltransferases that are C10, C15, C20 ,
C20L diterpenes
what is a trichonme?
specialized leaf structure where terpenes are syntehsized, small epidermal appendages on surface of leaves, stems, fruits and flowers. ~20% of leaf dry weight