The in vitro biosynthesis of dhurrin, the cyanogenic glycoside of Sorghum bicolor.

A microsomal fraction from seedlings of Sorghum bicolor (Linn) Moench has been shown to catalyze the conversion of L-tyrosine to p-hydroxymandelonitrile via p-hydroxyphenylacetaldoxime. This transformation is consistent with the general pathway for cyanogenic glycoside biosynthesis proposed on the basis of in vivo experiments. When the microsomal fraction was combined with a protein fraction from the soluble portion of the cell and uridine diphosphate glucose, it was possible to demonstrate the synthesis of the cyanogenic glycoside dhurrin from L-tyrosine.