MadSci Network: Botany
Query:

Re: how many types of enzymes are there in plants, are they specific ?

Date: Sun Jul 31 17:55:35 2005
Posted By: David Hershey, Faculty, Botany, NA
Area of science: Botany
ID: 1122224256.Bt
Message:

There are thousands of enzymes in plants. Plant Physiology texts (Taiz and
Zeiger 1998) usually discuss most of the major enzymatic pathways or cycles,
including:

Calvin cycle in chloroplasts including RUDP carboxylase, the most abundant
enzyme on Earth
Krebs cycle  in mitochondria, including malate dehydrogenase 
Glycolysis in cytosol, including aldolase
Starch formation in plastids, including starch phosphorylase
Nitrate assimilation, including nitrate reductase
Ammonium assimilation, including glutamine synthetase
Sulfur assimilation, including ATP sulfurylase
Phosphate assimilation, including phosphoglycerokinase
Fatty acid synthesis, including fatty acid synthase

There are several to many enzymes for the synthesis of the numerous organic
compounds in plants including lignin, cutin, suberin, chlorophyll, cellulose,
gibberellic acid, ethylene, abscisic acid, cytokinins, auxins, phytochrome,
phototropin, latex, waxes, oils, etc. 

There are well over 10,000 secondary organic compounds found in plants such as
caffeine, rubber, morphine, nicotine, jasmonic acid, tannins, anthocyanins,
carotenoids, isoflavonoids, etc. Secondary compounds are mainly involved in
plant defense and signaling, the latter often with pigments in flowers and
fruits. If you look for websites on biochemical pathways you should be able to
find some of those enzymes. There are also many books on plant biochemistry you
can find at amazon.com or at a university library. The Enzyme Nomenclature
website listed below has lots of information.

References


The Secondary Metabolism of Plants: Secondary Defence Compounds


Pathways for the Production of Plant Secondary Metabolites


Enzyme Nomenclature

Taiz, L. and Zeiger, E. 1998. Plant Physiology. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.


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