Recombinant p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase of high activity.

Inhibitors of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) are bleaching compounds impairing the formation of colored carotenoids. This activity makes them promising candidates for herbicides. Detailed studies on enzyme-inhibitor complexes or on the binding niche of the enzyme have still to be performed. Enzyme preparation from plants is time-consuming and the yield is poor. This paper describes in relevant detail the preparation of recombinant enzyme from Arabidopsis thaliana with good yield and high specific activity.