[en] In the past year, the last missing enzyme of the L-galactose pathway, the linear form of which appears to represent the major biosynthetic route to L-ascorbate (vitamin C) in higher plants, has been identified as a GDP-L-galactos phosphorylase. This enzyme catalyzes the first committed step in the synthesis of that vital antioxidant and enzyme cofactor. Here, we discuss how GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase enzymes, encoded in Arabidopsis by the paralogous VTC2 and VTC5 genes, function in concert with the other enzymes of the L-galactose pathway to provide plants with the appropriate levels of L-ascorbate. We hypothesize that regulation of L-ascorbate biosynthesis might occur at more than one step and warrants further investigation to allow for the manipulation of vitamin C levels in plants.
Disciplines :
Biochemistry, biophysics & molecular biology
Identifiers :
UNILU:UL-ARTICLE-2012-441
Author, co-author :
LINSTER, Carole ; University of Luxembourg > Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB)
Clarke, Steven G.
Language :
English
Title :
L-Ascorbate biosynthesis in higher plants: the role of VTC2
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