Jakubowicz Malgorzata
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland.
Acta Biochim Pol. 2002;49(3):757-74.
Both ethylene and the enzymes of ethylene synthesis are subjects of intensive scientific investigation. The present review discusses structure, catalytic activity and evolutionary relationships of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase, identified for the first time in ripening tomato in 1979. This enzyme is responsible for the conversion of S-adenosyl-L-methionine to 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, which is the key step of ethylene synthesis in higher plants. The role of this enzyme (especially in the fruit ripening) was demonstrated in 1991 in transgenic tomato plants, expressing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase antisense RNA. On the basis of mutagenesis and crystallization of the enzyme, new data were provided on the three-dimensional structure and amino-acid residues which are critical for catalysis. The control of ethylene production is of great interest for plant biotechnology because it can delay senescence and overmaturation. These processes are responsible for large loss of vegetables and fruit on storage. Detailed structural and biochemical data are necessary to help design 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase inhibitors, whose application is expected to have immense agricultural effects.
乙烯和乙烯合成酶都是深入科学研究的对象。本综述讨论了1-氨基环丙烷-1-羧酸合酶的结构、催化活性及进化关系，该酶于1979年在成熟番茄中首次被鉴定。此酶负责将S-腺苷-L-甲硫氨酸转化为1-氨基环丙烷-1-羧酸，这是高等植物乙烯合成的关键步骤。1991年，在表达1-氨基环丙烷-1-羧酸合酶反义RNA的转基因番茄植株中证实了该酶的作用（尤其是在果实成熟方面）。基于该酶的诱变和结晶，提供了有关三维结构和对催化至关重要的氨基酸残基的新数据。乙烯生成的控制对植物生物技术具有重大意义，因为它可以延缓衰老和过度成熟。这些过程导致蔬菜和水果在储存期间大量损失。需要详细的结构和生化数据来帮助设计1-氨基环丙烷-1-羧酸合酶抑制剂，预计其应用将产生巨大的农业效益。
