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Recent Advances in Molecular Genetics of Furanocoumarin Synthesis in Higher Plants

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Recent Advances in Redox Active Plant and Microbial Products

Abstract

Furanocoumarins are important plant defense compounds, which are mainly found in four higher plant families: Apiaceae, Moraceae, Fabaceae, and Rutaceae. These molecules constitute a subclass of polyphenolic compounds for which the biogenesis in plants has remained elusive until recently at the molecular level. Over the last decade, the first genes and enzymes involved in furanocoumarin synthesis have been described. As regards the linear furanocoumarin bergapten, starting from the precursor molecule p-coumaroyl CoA, we now have three different enzymatic steps (2 cytochrome P450 enzymes and one dioxygenase) out of a total of five that have been unraveled so far. With the exception of one enzyme that was characterized in Rutaceae, all other enzymes have been isolated from Apiaceae plants. The isolation of orthologous genes from other plant families is now under way and will likely reveal whether furanocoumarins appeared in an ancestor phylum or if they emerged independently over different plant taxonomical groups.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agronomie et Environment, Université de Lorraine (Nancy-Colmar), UMR 1121, 54505, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France

    Frédéric Bourgaud, Alexandre Olry & Alain Hehn

Authors
  1. Frédéric Bourgaud
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  2. Alexandre Olry
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  3. Alain Hehn
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frédéric Bourgaud .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bioorganic Chemistry/School of Pharmacy, University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany

    Claus Jacob

  2. SRSMC UMR 7565, Université de Lorraine, Metz, Moselle, France

    Gilbert Kirsch

  3. Plant Physiology (Bio III), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Alan Slusarenko

  4. Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom

    Paul G. Winyard

  5. Bioorganic Chemistry/School of Pharmacy, University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany

    Torsten Burkholz

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Bourgaud, F., Olry, A., Hehn, A. (2014). Recent Advances in Molecular Genetics of Furanocoumarin Synthesis in Higher Plants. In: Jacob, C., Kirsch, G., Slusarenko, A., Winyard, P., Burkholz, T. (eds) Recent Advances in Redox Active Plant and Microbial Products. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8953-0_14

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