Purification and substrate specifities of hydroxycinnamate: CoA ligase from anthocyanin-containing and anthocyanin-free carrot cells

Callus cells of Daucus carota L. have different phenylpropanoid pathways depending on the medium composition. Cells propagated on a medium with gibberellic acid do not accumulate cyanidin but incorporate [¹⁴C]phenylalanine into chlorogenic acid at a high rate. Cells grown on a medium free of gibberellic acid accumulate cyanidin in very large amounts. We here describe partial purification of hydroxycinnamate: CoA ligase, and its properties in these two cell lines. The enzymes extracted from the two cell populations had different substrate specifities: for that from anthocyanin-containing cells, p-coumaric acid was the best substrate, and caffeic acid and ferulic acid were also activated. With enzyme from anthocyanin-free cells, the lowest K_m values were obtained for caffeic acid, while ferulic acid had higher values, and p-coumaric acid was nearly inactive. The enzyme did not separate into isoenzymes during purification. Only on polyacrylamide gels the partially purified enzyme from anthocyanin-containing cells separated into three peaks, and that from anthocyanin-free cells, into only two peaks. This difference is discussed in the context of the lack of activity with p-coumaric acid in anthocyanin-free cells.Abbreviations GA₃ gibberellic acid     

Amino-acid biosynthesis in the cotyledons of Sinapis alba L. in darkness and far-red light studied by deuterium labelling and mass spectrometry

The incorporation of deuterium from deuterium oxide into the free amino acids of the cotyledons of Sinapis alba L. was studied by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and was similar, both qualitatively and quantitatively, after incubation of the seedlings in darkness or far-red light. The results support studies which show that phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5) is synthesised de novo, rather than activated, in response to far-red light.Abbreviations GC-MS Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5) - HFB n-propyl heptafluorobutyryl n-propyl     

Effect of exogenous application of gibberellic acid on color change and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, chlorophyllase, and peroxidase activities during ripening of strawberry fruit (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.)

The effect of exogenously applied gibberellic acid (GA₃) on the postharvest color change of strawberry fruit was evaluated through their external color and surface color parameters. A significant delay on color evolution was observed in fruits treated with GA₃. The evolution of activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chlorophyllase, and peroxidase was also analyzed. PAL activity increased during strawberry ripening, but in fruits treated with GA₃ the increase in such activity was slower, and, probably as consequence, the development of red color was delayed. Moreover, the activity of chlorophyllase and peroxidase, enzymes possibly involved in chlorophyll metabolism, decreased during strawberry ripening. However, a delay was observed in the decrease of such activities in GA₃-treated fruits.Abbreviations PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase - GA₃ gibberellic acid₃ - PVPP polyvinylpolyprrolidone - CEAU chlorophyllase enzymic activity unit - PEAU peroxidase enzymic activity unit - LSD least significant difference. Fellow of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) de la República Argentina. Author for correspondence.Members of the Research Career of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) de la República Argentina.     

Density-labelling evidence for the phytochrome-mediated activation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in mustard cotyledons

When dark-grown mustard seedlings are irradiated with far-red light the level of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5) activity increases. After ²H₂ O treatment phynlalanine amonia-lyase from seedlings irradiated with far-red light is density-labelled to a lesser extent than enzyme from dark-grown tissue. Theoretical arguments are advanced and data presented which show that this result cannot be explained in terms of an increase in de novo synthesis of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and that the increase most likely involves activation of existing enzyme.     

Rapid induction of ethylene biosynthesis in cultured parsley cells by fungal elicitor and its relationship to the induction of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase

The biosynthesis of ethylene was examined in suspension-cultured cells of parsley (Petroselinum hortense) treated with an elicitor from cell walls of Phytophthora megasperma. Untreated cells contained 50 nmol g^-1 of the ethylene precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), and produced ethylene at a rate of about 0.5 nmol g^-1 h^-1. Within 2 h after addition of elicitor to the culture medium, the cells started to produce more ethylene and accumulated more ACC. Exogenously added ACC did not increase the rate of ethylene production in control or elicitor-treated cells, indicating that the enzyme converting ACC to ethylene was limiting in both cases. The first enzyme in ethylene biosynthesis, ACC synthase, was very rapidly and transiently induced by the elicitor treatment. Its activity increased more than tenfold within 60 min. Density labelling with ²H₂O showed that this increase was caused by the denovo synthesis of the enzyme protein. Cordycepin and actinomycin D did not affect the induction of ACC synthase, indicating that the synthesis of new mRNA was not required. The peak of ACC-synthase activity preceded the maximal phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity by several hours. Exogenously supplied ethylene or ACC did not induce PAL. However, aminoethoxyvinylglycine, an inhibitor of ACC synthase, suppressed the rise in ethylene production in elicitor-treated cells and partially inhibited the induction of PAL. Exogenously supplied ACC reversed this inhibition. It is concluded that induction of the ethylene biosynthetic pathway is a very early symptom of elicitor action. Although ethylene alone is not a sufficient signal for PAL induction, the enhanced activity of ACC synthase and the ethylene biosynthetic pathway may be important for the subsequent induction of PAL.Abbreviations ACC 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid - AVG aminoethoxyvinylglycine - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase     

Modification of l-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in soybean cell suspension cultures by 2-aminooxyacetate and l-2-aminooxy-3-phenylpropionate

Suspension-cultured cells of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Kanrich) produce large amounts of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL; EC 4.3.1.5), the first enzyme of phenylpropanoid metabolism, during growth. 2-Aminooxyacetic acid (AOA) and l-2-aminooxy-3-phenylpropionic acid (l-AOPP) inhibit the enzyme competitively in vitro and have been used for in vivo studies. The amount of extractable enzyme in the cells and their utilization of NO ₃ ^– and NH ₃ ⁺ are reduced upon the addition of AOA. When AOA was added at various times during growth, the appearance of additional enzyme activity was prevented but enzyme already formed was not inhibited. No evidence was obtained for the presence of an inhibitor in the extracts and AOA inhibition in vitro was readily reversible. It is conculded that AOA acts to inhibit the formation of PAL in suspension-cultured soy bean cells. In vitro inhibition of soybean PAL by l-AOPP could not be reversed; in contrast, the inhibition of maize (Zea mays L.) PAL was readily reversible. Added l-AOPP, which was rapidly taken up by the soybean cells, prevented the large increase in enzyme activity. Although PAL activity was blocked in the cultures, no appreciable increase in phenylalanine content could be detected in cell extracts. The response of soybean cell suspensions to l-AOPP addition thus differs from that of other tissues which in presence of l-AOPP show an increase in PAL activity and an accumulation of phenylalanine.Abbreviations AOA 2-aminooxyacetic acid - l-AOPP l-2-aminoxy-3-phenylpropionic acid - PAL l-phenylalanine ammonialyase (EC4.3.1.5)     

The estimation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL)-activity in intact cells of higher plant tissue

Summary A procedure is described which permits the estimation of the relative activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (E.C. 4.3.1.5.) in intact plant cells, exemplified by buckwheat hypocotyls. Hypocotyl segments are incubated at pH 5.5 with L-[3-³H]phenylalanine. N³HH₂, which is liberated from phenylalanine by the action of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, equilibrates with tissue water to yield ³HOH, which is recovered by sublimation. Participation of phenylalanine transaminase in the reactions leading to ³HOH formation is excluded, and it is conclusively shown that ³HOH is formed intracellularly and not by enzymatic activity leaking out of wounded tissue.Abbreviation PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (E.C. 4.3.1.5.)     

The estimation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity in intact cells of higher plant tissue

A previously described procedure for the estimation of relative activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5) in intact plant cells (Amrhein et al. (1976) Planta 131, 33–40) was reexamined for its specificity and its applicability to various tissues. In buckwheat hypocotyl segments ³H is stereospecifically released from the pro-3S-position of L-[2,3-³H]phenylalanine and is thus due to phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity. In buck wheat and sunflower leaf disks, however, ³H release occurs from both the 2- and 3-positions of the labeled substrate and can only partially be attributed to phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity.Abbreviations AOA -aminooxyacetic acid - L-AOD L-aminoacid oxidase (EC 1.4.3.2) - D-AOD D-amino-acid oxidase (EC 1.4.3.3) - L-AOPP L--aminooxy--phenylpropionic acid - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5) - TAL tyrosine ammonia-lyase     

Phonolic components of the primary cell wall and their possible rôle in the hormonal regulation of growth

The insoluble cell wall polymers of cultured spinach cells contained esterified ferulic acid at 2–5 mg g^-1 dry weight. Gibberellic acid (GA₃, 10^-11–10^-6 M) promoted the expansion of these cells and simultaneoulsy suppressed peroxidase secretion, reduced the activity of cellular phenylanine ammonia-lyase and favoured the accumulation of wall-esterified ferulate and of extracellular soluble phenolic aglycones. When growth was prevented with 0·7 M sorbitol, GA₃ still evoked the phenolic and peroxidase effects. It is suggested that peroxidase restricts growth by rigidifying the cell wall in two ways: (a) covalently by catalysing the conversion of feruloyl side-chains into diferuloyl cross-links and (b) non-covalently by catalysing the conversion of soluble phenolics into hydrophobic quinones (or polymers). GA₃ is hypothesised to prevent this rigidification by inhibiting peroxidase secretion.Abbreviations A ₂₈ absorbance at 280 nm - a _1cnt ^1% absorptivity coefficient - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - EtOAc ethylacetate - GA₃ gibberellic acid - mol wt molecular weight - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase - PCV packed cell volume - sh shoulder or inflection - TLC thin-layer chromatography - UV ultra-violet - wavelength - IAA indoleacetic acid     

Inhibition of flavonoid biosynthesis by gibberellic acid in cell suspension cultures of Daucus carota L.

In carrot cells (Daucus carota L.), cultured in the presence of gibberellic acid, anthocyanin synthesis is blocked at the level of chalcone synthase. By feeding suitable precursors for anthocyanins (naringenin, eriodictyol, dihydroquercetin) biosynthesis of cyanidin glycosides can be restored. After addition of these substrates to the culture medium in the presence of gibberellic acid, the activity of chalcone synthase remained as low as in the control without precursors. The highest increase in anthocyanin content was achieved using dihydroquercetin as the added precursor. The time course of this supplementation showed a rapid response; within 4 h a substantial increase in anthocyanin could be observed. In contranst, the flavonol quercetin is not a precursor for cyanidin. The fact that naringenin was also accepted for cyanidin synthesis leads to the conclusion that hydroxylation in 3-position of ring B in Daucus carota takes place at the flavonoid stage.Abbreviations CHI Chalcone isomerase - CHS chalcone synthase - DMSO dimethylsulfoxide - GA₃ gibberellic acid - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase     

Stamens and gibberellin in the regulation of corolla pigmentation and growth in Petunia hybrida

Removal of stamens, or even of only the anthers, at an early stage of corolla development, before the start of main anthocyanin production, inhibited both growth and pigmentation of attached corollas of Petunia. When only one or two stamens were removed from one side, the inhibition was restricted to the corolla side adjacent to the detached stamens. Application of gibberellic acid (GA₃) substituted for the stamens in its effect on both growth and pigmentation. In detached corollas, isolated at the early-green stage and grown in vitro in sucrose medium, GA₃ promoted growth and was essential for anthocyanin synthesis. A marked enhancement of anthocyanin production was observed 48 h before the increase in corolla growth rate. Corollas detached at later stages were able to continue their growth and pigmentation in sucrose without GA₃. When Paclobutrazol (-[(4-chlorophenyl)-ethyl]-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ethanol), an inhibitor of gibberellin biosynthesis, was added to the growth medium of in-vitro-grown corollas, pigmentation was inhibited but there was no effect on corolla growth. Low levels of GA₃ counteracted the Paclobutrazol effect on pigmentation but did not affect growth. The above results indicate that the effect of GA₃ (and probably that of the stamens) on corolla growth is independent of its effect on pigmentation. Gibberellic acid and paclobutrazol had no effect on [¹⁴C]sucrose uptake by in-vitro-grown corollas. The activity of phenylalanine ammonialyase was correlated with the effect of stamens and GA₃ on pigmentation in corollas grown in vivo and in vitro.Abbreviations GA gibberellin - GA₃ gibberellic acid - PAC Paclobutrazol - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase     

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase and cinnamic acid hydroxylases as assembled consecutive enzymes on microsomal membranes of cucumber cotyledons: Cooperation and subcellular distribution

1. Cooperation between phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5) and cinnamic acid hydroxylases was investigated using microsomal fractions from cotyledons of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The interpretations were based on experiments which demonstrate a limited exchange between the pool of cinnamic acid formed by the membrane-bound phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and the cinnamic acid pool external to the enzyme-membrane system. 2. The extent of cooperation between the microsomal enzymes was proved to be influenced by treatment of the cotyledons with light. On exposure to UV-light, which is known to enhance greatly the soluble phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity in cell cultures, differential effects on the levels of microsomal and soluble phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and of cinnamic acid hydroxylases, were observed. The time course of the enzyme activities and their cooperation in vitro after treatment of the cotyledons with light were studied. 3. The extent of cooperation in vitro was found to vary depending on the concentration of L-phenylalanine. 4. Homogenates obtained from etiolated cotyledons of Cucumis sativus in the absence of Mg²⁺ were fractionated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and examined for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamic acid o-hydroxylase, cinnamic acid o-hydroxylase, and several marker enzymes. Ammonia-lyase activity was highest in fractions with 25% sucrose, in which primarily smooth endoplasmic reticulum is localized. Hydroxylase activities co-occur with phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in these fractions (density=1.100 g/cm³), and also in fractions at higher densities (d=1.12–1.13 and 1.15 g/cm³).Abbreviations PAL L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase - Tris tris-(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane - EDTA ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid - ATPase ATP phosphohydrolase     

Induction of chalcone synthase in cell suspension cultures of carrot (Daucus carota L. spp. sativus) by ultraviolet light: evidence for two different forms of chalcone synthase

Two cell lines of carrot (Daucus carota L. spp. sativus), grown as cell-suspension cultures in the dark, were irradiated with ultraviolet light (315–420 nm) 10 d after the onset of cultivation. Chalcone synthase (CHS) enzyme activity was induced in both cell lines. Anthocyanin synthesis was only stimulated in the anthocyanin-containing cell line DCb. Parallel to the increase in CHS activity there was an increase with time in the amount of one CHS form with an isoelectric point of 6.5 and a molecular weight of 40 kilodaltons (kDa) per subunit. Whereas the anthocyanin-free cell line DCs failed to accumulate anthocyanin, it did stimulate another CHS form with an isoelectric point at pH 5.5 and a molecular weight of 43 kDa per subunit. Both enzyme activities could be separated by isoelectric focusing and stabilized using sodium hydrosulfite as an oxidation protectant. In carrot plants, CHS was restricted to the dark purple petals of the inflorescence (40 kDa) and to the leaves (43 kDa).Abbreviations BSA bovine serum albumin - CHS chalcone synthase - IEF isoelectric focusing - kDa kilodaltons - KP_i potassium phosphate buffer - PAL phenylalanine ammonialyase - pI isoelectric point - UV ultraviolet     

Gibberellic acid-induced changes in glutathione metabolism and anthocyanin content in plant tissue

Literature data point to a possible link between gibberellic acid (GA₃) and glutathione metabolism in plant tissue, as both are connected to dormancy breakage. In order to study the influence of GA₃ on glutathione metabolism, we treated an anthocyanin accumulating cell culture of periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) and a shoot differentiated culture of pea (Pisum sativum) with GA₃. Glutathione reductase (GR; E.C. 1.6.4.2) activity increased to 135% and 190% of the control in C. roseus and P. sativum, respectively. The level of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) decreased to 60% of the control in the C. roseus culture while no change in GSSG was observed in the P. sativum culture. No changes in the tissue concentration of total glutathione was observed in the cultures after GA₃ treatment. Concomitant to the changes in GSSG and GR, an increase in anthocyanin accumulation was observed in the C. roseus culture in association with a strong increase in phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL; E.C. 4.3.1.5) activity in response to GA₃. These data strongly suggest a link between GA₃ and glutathione metabolism.     

The interaction of auxin and cytokinin in the induction of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in suspension cultures of Phaseolus vulgaris

The dependence of phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) induction in bean suspension cultures on the concentration of naphthylacetic acid (NAA) and kinetin has been investigated and the timing of the effect of each hormone has been determined. NAA was required at an optimal concentration of 1 mg l^-1 2 days prior to the increase in PAL activity. Kinetin caused a prapid stimulation of the rate of PAL induction and the total amount of PAL induced in a concentration range of 0.1–0.5 mg l^-1 when it was supplied to the cells immediately prior to the expected rise in PAL activity. The inhibitory effect of 2 mg l^-1 NAA on PAL induction was overcome by an increased concentration of kinetin.Abbreviations NAA naphthylacetic acid - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - IAA indole-3yl acetic acid - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5.)     

Lignin synthesis and its related enzymes as markers of tracheary-element differentiation in single cells isolated from the mesophyll of Zinnia elegans

Mesophyll cells isolated from Zinnia elegans L. cv. Canary Bird were cultured for 96 h in a liquid medium containing 0.1 mg l^-1 -naphthaleneacetic acid and 1 mg l^-1 benzyladenine in which both differentiation of tracheary elements (TE) and cell division were induced, or in a medium containing 0.1 mg l^-1 -naphthaleneacetic acid and 0.001 mg l^-1 benzyladenine, in which cell division was induced but TE differentiation was not. Lignification was found to occur only in the former medium, fairly synchronously after 76 h of culture, 5 h later than the onset of visible secondary wall thickening. Changes in the soluble phenolics were not correlated with TE differentiation. Of three important enzymes which have been reported to play a role in TE differentiation, the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5) in the TE-inductive culture was higher than that in the control culture between 72 and 96 h of culture, when TE differentiation progressed and lignin was synthesized actively. O-Methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.6) activity was higher in the control culture than in the TE-inductive culture, indicating that this enzyme was not a marker enzyme of TE differentiation. The activities of peroxidases (EC 1.11.1.7), one extractable and the other nonextractable, with CaCl₂ from the cell walls, reached peaks at 72 h (just before lignification) and 84 h of culture (active lignin synthesis), respectively, in the TE-inductive culture only, whereas the activity of soluble peroxidase showed a similar pattern of increase in the TE-inductive to the control culture. These results indicate that phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and peroxidase bound to the cell walls can be marker proteins for the differentiation of TE.Abbreviations OMT O-methyltransferase - PO peroxidase - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase - TE tracheary element(s)     

Induction of rosmarinic acid biosynthesis in Lithospermum erythrorhizon cell suspension cultures by yeast extract

Summary A transient increase in rosmarinic acid (RA) content in cultured cells of Lithospermum erythrorhizon was observed after addition of yeast extract (YE) to the suspension cultures, reaching a maximum at 24 hr. The highest increase of the RA content (2.5-fold) was obtained when 6-day-old cells in the exponential growth phase were treated with YE. Preceding the induced RA accumulation, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity increased rapidly, whereas tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) activity was largely unaffected by the treatment. The incorporation of both ¹⁴C-phenylalanine and ¹⁴C-tyrosine into RA was enhanced in the YE-treated cells, consistent with increased synthesis of the ester.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase - TAT tyrosine aminotransferase - RA rosmarinic acid - YE yeast extract     

Fungal elicitor-mediated responses in pine cell cultures

A tissue culture system has been developed to examine phenylpropanoid metabolism induced in pine tissues by an ectomycorrhizal symbiont. An elicitor preparation from the ectomycorrhizal fungus Thelephora terrestris Fr. induced enhanced phenolic metabolism in suspension cultured cells of Pinus banksiana Lamb., as indicated by tissue lignification and accumulation of specific methanol-extractable compounds in the cells. Induction of lignification was observed as early as 12 h after elicitation. The activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5), the entry-point enzyme into phenylpropanoid metabolism, also increased within the same time-frame in elicited cells. Significant increases in PAL activity were evident by 6 h after elicitation, and, by 12 h after elicitation, PAL activity in elicited cells was ten times greater than that in the corresponding controls. Lignification of the elicited tissue was also accompanied by an increase in the activity of other enzymes associated with lignin synthesis, including caffeic acid O-methyl transferase (EC 2.1.1.46), hydroxycinnamate:CoA ligase (EC 6.2.1.12), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.-), coniferin glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) and peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7). The increase in total peroxidase activity was associated with a change in the pattern of soluble peroxidase isoforms. The pine cell culture-ectomycorrhizal elicitor system provides a good model for molecular analysis of the process of lignification in an economically important softwood species.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - 4CL hydroxycinnamate:Coenzyme A ligase (EC 6.2.1.12) - CAD cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.-) - COMT S-adenosyl-l-methionine:caffeate O-methyl transferase (EC 2.1.1.46) - HPLC high-pressure liquid chromatography - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5) - TGA thioglycolic acid To whom correspondence should be addressedFinancial assistance for this work was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.     

Ethylene production in rice bronzing leaves induced by ferrous iron

Bronzing, a nutritional disorder of rice plants which is widely distributed in tropical lowlands, was induced by dipping the cut end of rice leaves into FeSO₄ solution (pH 3.5). Ethylene production; the activities of peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase; and the effects of Co²⁺, aminoethoxyvinylglycine, Ag⁺, cycloheximide, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate, were investigated in the course of bronzing development. It was found that ethylene production could be stimulated up to about 20 times that of the control by Fe²⁺, and a peak could be reached at about 24 h after incubation. The Fe²⁺-treated leaves also had 10-fold higher peroxidase activity than the control, whereas in vitro enzyme activity was inhibited by Fe²⁺. Cycloheximide retarded in vivo stimulation of peroxidase, indicating that in vivo stimulation resulted from inducing de novo synthesis of the enzyme. No changes in the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and polyphenol oxidase were observed. The results, obtained from the incubation of leaves with Co²⁺, aminoethoxyvinylglycine, Ag⁺, cycloheximide, or 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate, showed that ethylene production was the effect of Fe²⁺ stress and that it was not involved in the process of bronzing development, which is probably an acclimation process to enable plants to cope with stress. The accelerated peroxidase activity may be associated with bronzing development.Abbreviations ACC 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid - AVG aminoethoxyvinylglycine - EFE ethylene forming enzyme - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase - POD peroxidase - PPO polyphenol oxidase - SE standard error     

Regulation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity and growth in lettuce by light and gibberellic acid

Abstract The effects of light and gibberellic acid (GA3) on growth and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity were studied in seedlings of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Using an in vivo assay for PAL it was shown that wounding caused by excising hypocotyls results in an increase in PAL activity with time that can mask the effect of light on the activity of this enzyme. When hypocotyl sections were excised from light-treated seedlings immediately prior to the in vivo assay of PAL, light was shown to cause a marked increase in PAL activity. Experiments with an inhibitor of PAL activity, α-aminooxy-β-phenylpropionic acid (AOPP), confirmed that the volatile radioactive products measured in the in vivo assay resulted from the activity of PAL. Gibberellic acid suppresses the light-induced increase in PAL activity and there is an inverse relationship between GA₃-induced growth and the activity of PAL. Over a wide range of GA₃ concentrations, the activity of PAL is also inversely correlated with growth rate along the length of the hypocotyl section; the upper halves of sections elongate more rapidly and have lower levels of PAL than the lower halves. Despite the strong correlation between growth and PAL activity, experiments with AOPP and t-cinnamic acid show that it is unlikely that elongation is regulated directly by products of PAL activity.