title: Molecular Characterization of a Recombinant Zea mays Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase (ZmPAL2) and Its Application in trans-Cinnamic Acid Production from L-Phenylalanine.
abstract: Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is one of the most extensively studied enzymes with its crucial role in secondary phenylpropanoid metabolism of plants. Recently, its demand has been increased for aromatic chemical production, but its applications in trans-cinnamic acid production were not much explored. In the present study, a putative PAL gene from Zea mays designated as ZmPAL2 was expressed and characterized in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant ZmPAL2 exhibited a high PAL activity (7.14 U/mg) and a weak tyrosine ammonia-lyase activity. The optimal temperature of ZmPAL2 was 55 °C, and the thermal stability results showed that about 50 % of enzyme activity remained after a treatment at 60 °C for 6 h. The recombinant ZmPAL2 is a good candidate for the production of trans-cinnamic acid. The vitro conversion indicated that the recombinant ZmPAL2 could effectively catalyze the L-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid, and the trans-cinnamic acid concentration can reach up to 5 g/l.
authors.affiliation: College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Zhaojuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ouyang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D055162:Biocatalysis; D002934:Cinnamates / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism*; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D003313:Zea mays / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D002934:Cinnamates; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C029010:cinnamic acid; D010649:Phenylalanine; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase