Plant amino acid-derived vitamins: biosynthesis and function

Miret, J. A. and Munné-Bosch, S. (2014) Plant amino acid-derived vitamins: biosynthesis and function. Amino Acids, 46 (4). pp. 809-824. ISSN 0939-4451 doi: 10.1007/s00726-013-1653-3

Abstract/Summary

Vitamins are essential organic compounds for humans, having lost the ability to de novo synthesize them. Hence, they represent dietary requirements, which are covered by plants as the main dietary source of most vitamins (through food or livestock’s feed). Most vitamins synthesized by plants present amino acids as precursors (B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B9 and E) and are therefore linked to plant nitrogen metabolism. Amino acids play different roles in their biosynthesis and metabolism, either incorporated into the backbone of the vitamin or as amino, sulfur or one-carbon group donors. There is a high natural variation in vitamin contents in crops and its exploitation through breeding, metabolic engineering and agronomic practices can enhance their nutritional quality. While the underlying biochemical roles of vitamins as cosubstrates or cofactors are usually common for most eukaryotes, the impact of vitamins B and E in metabolism and physiology can be quite different on plants and animals. Here, we first aim at giving an overview of the biosynthesis of amino acid-derived vitamins in plants, with a particular focus on how this knowledge can be exploited to increase vitamin contents in crops. Second, we will focus on the functions of these vitamins in both plants and animals (and humans in particular), to unravel common and specific roles for vitamins in evolutionary distant organisms, in which these amino acid-derived vitamins play, however, an essential role.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/79989
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	No Reading authors. Back catalogue items
Publisher	Springer
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