Final Flashcards
(123 cards)
describe primary metabolism
growth and development and reproduction
describe secondary metabolism
the production of all compounds not necessary for growth development and reproduction
-also helps plants cope with stress and survive niches
where do secondary metabolites come from
primary metabolism
Describe an alkaloid
pharmacologically active, N-containing basic compounds
What are the 5 main classes of alkaloids
- Monoterpenoid Indole alkaloids (MIAs)
- Isoquinoline Alkaloids
- Tropane Alkaloids
- Pyrollizidine Alkaloids (PAs)
- Purine Alkaloids
What is the key intermediate in MIA biosyn and how is it formed
Strictosidine formed from tryptamine condensed with secologanin (Pictet-Spengler condensation, catalyzed by STR)
what is the precursor to all isoquinoline alkaloids
norcoclaurine
what is the key intermediate in TA synthesis
N-methylputrescine
what are all purine alkaloids produced from
xanthosine
How can you make a caffeine free coffee plant
disrupt caffeine synthase which causes theobromine to accumulate
what is unique about the enzymes produced in alkaloid-producing plants
their substrate specificity (acquired through mutation of existing genes)
.
what’s a major factor in the evolution of the alkaloid biosynthesis pathway
gene duplication followed by mutation (neofunctionalization)
what are 5 key reaction that account for much of the diversity of alkaloids
- decarboxylation
- oxidation
- methylation
- acetylation
- glycosylation
what are glucosinolates
S and N containing plant secondary metabolites
Where are glucosinolates found
in the order brassicales
-brassica crops (cabbage, arabidopsis
what are glucosinolates derived from?
from different a.a.
what are the 3 types of glucosinolates
- aliphatic
- aromatic
- indolic
describe the first step of glucosinolate synthesis
Elongation
aliphatic and aromatic a.a. are elongated by inserting methylene groups into their side chains
describe the second step of glucosinolate synthesis
Core Structure Assembly
the a.a. moeity is metabolically reconfigured to give the core structure of glucosinolates
describe the third step of glucosinolate synthesis
Secondary Modifications
the initially formed glucosinolates are modified by various secondary transformations
How many C are gained in each round of chain elongation of glucosinolate synthesis
net gain of one C
After plant damage how does the process of glucosinolate degradation begin
with myrosinase-catalyzed hydrolysis of the thioglucoside linkage
What do epithiospecifier proteins (ESP) do
dictate the nature of the degradative product in glucosinolate degradation
describe the glucosinolate-myrosinase relationship
chemical herbivory defense system
-they are physically separated but after tissue damage are brought together then myrosine can activate glucosimulates