title: Aureusidin synthase: a polyphenol oxidase homolog responsible for flower coloration.
abstract: Aurones are plant flavonoids that provide yellow color to the flowers of some popular ornamental plants, such as snapdragon and cosmos. In this study, we have identified an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of aurone from chalcones in the yellow snapdragon flower. The enzyme (aureusidin synthase) is a 39-kilodalton, copper-containing glycoprotein catalyzing the hydroxylation and/or oxidative cyclization of the precursor chalcones, 2',4',6',4-tetrahydroxychalcone and 2',4',6',3,4-pentahydroxychalcone. The complementary DNA encoding aureusidin synthase is expressed in the petals of aurone-containing varieties. DNA sequence analysis revealed that aureusidin synthase belongs to the plant polyphenol oxidase family, providing an unequivocal example of the function of the polyphenol oxidase homolog in plants, i.e., flower coloration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba-yama 07, Sendai 980-8579, Japan. nakayama@seika.che.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yonekura-Sakakibara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuchi-Mizutani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusumi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishino
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000378:metabolism*; D002384:Catalysis; D004156:Catechol Oxidase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D003500:Cyclization; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006900:Hydroxylation; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010858:Pigmentation; D018514:Plant Structures / Q000201:enzymology; D010944:Plants / Q000201:enzymology; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004792:Enzyme Precursors; C416232:aureusidin; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; C416231:aureusidin synthase; C416233:aureusidin synthase precursor; D004156:Catechol Oxidase