The Identification of Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase(PAL)Genes from Pinus yunnanensis and an Analysis of Enzyme Activity in vitro

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase(PAL)is the rate-limiting and pivotal enzyme of the general phenylpropanoid path-way,but few reports have been found on PAL genes in Pinus yunnanensis.In the present study,three PAL genes were cloned and identified from P.yunnanensis seedlings for thefirst time,namely,PyPAL-1,PyPAL-2,and PyPAL-3.Our results indicated that the open-reading frames of PyPAL genes were 2184,2157,and 2385 bp.Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that PyPALs have high homology with other known PAL genes in other plants.In vitro enzymatic analysis showed that all three PyPAL recombinant proteins could catalyze the deamination of L-phenylalanine to form trans-cinnamic acid,but only PAL1 and PAL2 can catalyze the conversion of L-tyrosine toρ-coumaric acid.Three PyPAL genes were expressed in different tissues in 1-year-old P.yunnanensis,and such genes had different expression patterns.This study lays a foundation for further understanding of the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in P.yunnanensis.

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene families in cucurbit species: Structure, evolution, and expression

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase （PAL）, the first enzyme of phenylpropanoid pathway, is always encoded by multigene families in plants. In this study, using genome-wide searches, 13 PAL genes in cucumber （CsPAL1-13） and 13 PALs in melon （Cm- PALl-13） were identified. In the corresponding genomes, ten of these PAL genes were located in tandem in two clusters, while the others were widely dispersed in different chromosomes as a single copy. The protein sequences of CsPALs and CmPALs shared an overall high identity to each other. In our previous report, 12 PAL genes were identified in watermelon （CIPAL1-12）. Thereby, a total of 38 cucurbit PAL members were included. Here, a comprehensive comparison of PAL gene families was performed among three cucurbit plants. The phylogenetic and syntenic analyses placed the cucurbit PALs as 11 CsPAL-CmPAL-CIPAL triples, of which ten triples were clustered into the dicot group, and the remaining one, CsPAL1-CmPAL8-CIPAL2, was grouped with gymnosperm PALs and might serve as an ancestor of cucurbit PALs. By comparing the syntenic relationships and gene structure of these PAL genes, the expansion of cucurbit PAL families might arise from a series of segmental and tandem duplications and intron insertion events. Furthermore, the expression profiling in different tissues suggested that different cucurbit PALs displayed divergent but overlapping expression profiles, and the CsPAL-CmPAL-CIPAL orthologs showed correlative expression patterns among three cucurbit plants. Taken together, this study provided an extensive description on the evolution and expression of cucurbit PAL gene families and might facilitate the further studies for elucidating the functions of PALs in cucurbit plants.

Genetic diversity and population structure analysis of Pistacia species revealed by phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene markers and implications for conservation

Information on population genetic structure and crop genetic diversity is important for genetically improving crop species and conserving threatened species. The PAL gene sequence is part of a multigene family that can be utilized to design DNA marker systems for genetic diversity and population structure investigation. In the current study, genetic diversity and population structure of 100 accessions of wild Pistacia species were investigated with 78 PAL markers. A protocol for using PAL sequences as DNA markers was developed. A total of 313 PAL loci were recognized, showing 100% polymorphism for PAL markers. The PAL markers produced relatively more observed and effective alleles in Pistacia falcata and Pistacia atlantica, with a higher Shannon＇s information index and expected heterozygosity in P. atlantica, Pistacia vera and Pistacia mutica. Pairwise assessment of Nei＇s genetic distance and genetic identity between populations revealed a close association between geographically iso- lated populations of Pistacia khinjuk and Pistacia chinensis. The accessions of wild Pistacia species had more genetic relationship among studied groups of species. Analysis of molecular variance indicated 19% among- population variation and 81% within-population variation for the PAL gene based DNA marker. Population structure analysis based on PAL revealed four groups with high genetic admixture among populations. The results establish PAL markers as a functional DNA marker system and provide important genetic information about accessions from wild populations of Pistacia species.

Programmable double-unlock nanocomplex self-supplies phenylalanine ammonia-lyase for precise phenylalanine deprivation of tumors

Essential amino acids(EAAs)deprivation is a potential antitumor approach because EAAs are critical for tumor growth.To efficiently inhibit tumor growth,continuous deprivation of EAAs is required,how-ever,continuous deprivation without precise control will introduce toxicity to normal cells.Herein,a programmable double-unlock nanocomplex(ROCK)was prepared,which could self-supply phenylalanine ammonia-lyase(PAL)to tumor cells for phenylalanine(Phe)deprivation.ROCK was double-locked in physiological conditions when administered systemically.While ROCK actively targeted to tumor cells by integrinαvβ3/5 and CD44,ROCK was firstly unlocked by cleavage of protease on tumor cell membrane,exposing CendR and R8 to enhance endocytosis.Then,hyaluronic acid was digested by hyaluronidase overexpressed in endo/lysosome of tumor cells,in which ROCK was secondly unlocked,resulting in pro-moting endo/lysosome escape and PAL plasmid(pPAL)release.Released pPAL could sustainably express PAL in host tumor cells until the self-supplied PAL precisely and successfully deprived Phe,thereby block-ing the protein synthesis and killing tumor cells specifically.Overall,our precise Phe deprivation strategy effectively inhibited tumor growth with no observable toxicity to normal cells,providing new insights to efficiently remove intratumoral nutrition for cancer therapy.

The phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene family in Isatis indigotica Fort.:molecular cloning,characterization,and expression analysis

Phenolic compounds, metabolites of the phenylpropanoid pathway, play an important role in the growth and environmental adaptation of many plants. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase(PAL) is the first key enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway. The present study was designed to investigate whether there is a multi-gene family in I. Indigotic and, if so, to characterize their properties. We conducted a comprehensive survey on the transcription profiling database by using tBLASTn analysis. Several bioinformatics methods were employed to perform the prediction of composition and physicochemical characters. The expression levels of IiPAL genes in various tissues of I. indigotica with stress treatment were examined by quantitative real-time PCR. Protoplast transient transformation was used to observe the locations of IiPALs. IiPALs were functionally characterized by expression with pET-32a vector in Escherichia colis strain BL21(DE3). Integration of transcripts and metabolite accumulations was used to reveal the relation between IiPALs and target compounds. An new gene(IiPAL2) was identified and both IiPALs had the conserved enzymatic active site Ala-Ser-Gly and were classified as members of dicotyledon. IiPAL1 and IiPAL2 were expressed in roots, stems, leaves, and flowers, with the highest expression levels of IiPAL1 and IiPAL2 being observed in stems and roots, respectively. The two genes responded to the exogenous elicitor in different manners. Subcellular localization experiment showed that both IiPALs were localized in the cytosol. The recombinant proteins were shown to catalyze the conversion of L-Phe to trans-cinnamic acid. Correlation analysis indicated that Ii PAL1 was more close to the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites than IiPAL2. In conclusion, the present study provides a basis for the elucidation of the role of Ii PALs genes in the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds, which will help further metabolic engineering to improve the accumulation of bioactive components in I.indigotica.

Molecular cloning and characterization of three phenylalanine ammonia-lyase genes from Schisandra chinensis

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase(PAL),which catalyzes the conversion from L-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid,is a well-known key enzyme and a connecting step between primary and secondary metabolisms in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway of plants and microbes.Schisandra chinensis,a woody vine plant belonging to the family of Magnoliaceae,is a rich source of dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans exhibiting potent activity.However,the functional role of PAL in the biosynthesis of lignan is relatively limited,compared with those in lignin and flavonoids biosynthesis.Therefore,it is essential to clone and characterize the PAL genes from this valuable medicinal plant.In this study,molecular cloning and characterization of three PAL genes(ScPAL1−3)from S.chinensis was carried out.ScPALs were cloned using RACE PCR.The sequence analysis of the three ScPALs was carried out to give basic characteristics followed by docking analysis.In order to determine their catalytic activity,recombinant protein was obtained by heterologous expression in pCold-TF vector in Escherichia coli(BL21-DE3),followed by Ni-affinity purification.The catalytic product of the purified recombinant proteins was verified using RP-HPLC through comparing with standard compounds.The optimal temperature,pH value and effects of different metal ions were determined.Vmax,Kcat and Km values were determined under the optimal conditions.The expression of three ScPALs in different tissues was also determined.Our work provided essential information for the function of ScPALs.

Amphipathic Phenylalanine-Induced Nucleophilic-Hydrophobic Interface Toward Highly Reversible Zn Anode

Aqueous Zn^(2+)-ion batteries(AZIBs),recognized for their high security,reliability,and cost efficiency,have garnered considerable attention.However,the prevalent issues of dendrite growth and parasitic reactions at the Zn electrode interface significantly impede their practical application.In this study,we introduced a ubiquitous biomolecule of phenylalanine(Phe)into the electrolyte as a multifunctional additive to improve the reversibility of the Zn anode.Leveraging its exceptional nucleophilic characteristics,Phe molecules tend to coordinate with Zn^(2+)ions for optimizing the solvation environment.Simultaneously,the distinctive lipophilicity of aromatic amino acids empowers Phe with a higher adsorption energy,enabling the construction of a multifunctional protective interphase.The hydrophobic benzene ring ligands act as cleaners for repelling H_(2)O molecules,while the hydrophilic hydroxyl and carboxyl groups attract Zn^(2+)ions for homogenizing Zn^(2+)flux.Moreover,the preferential reduction of Phe molecules prior to H_(2)O facilitates the in situ formation of an organic-inorganic hybrid solid electrolyte interphase,enhancing the interfacial stability of the Zn anode.Consequently,Zn||Zn cells display improved reversibility,achieving an extended cycle life of 5250 h.Additionally,Zn||LMO full cells exhibit enhanced cyclability of retaining 77.3%capacity after 300 cycles,demonstrating substantial potential in advancing the commercialization of AZIBs.

Effect of selenium application on phenylalanine ammonia-lyase(PAL)activity,phenol leakage and total phenolic content in garlic(Allium sativum L.)under NaCl stress

It is well known that salinity has badly effect on plant growth all over the world and greatly reduces crop production in the affected regions.Selenium can function as an antioxidant in plants and also in low concentration can promotes plant growth and produce tolerance against stress.This study was conducted in order to determine the effects of selenium(Se)application(0,4,8 and 16 mg L^-1)on phenylalanine ammonia-lyase(PAL)activity,phenol leakage and total phenolic content of garlic under salt stress(0,30,60 and 90 mM NaCl).The highest PAL activity was recorded at 60 and 90 mM NaCl salinity with application of 8mg Se L^-1.Also,when Se was added to the salt-stress garlic,the level of phenol leakage was decreased significantly at two levels of NaCl concentration(by 52%and 40%at 30 mM NaCl with application of 4 and 16 mg Se L^-1,and by 50%at 90 mM NaCl with application of 4mg Se L^-1,respectively)in comparison to the salt-stressed garlic without Se.The results showed that Se can increase the salt tolerance of garlic by protecting the cell membrane against lipid peroxidation.The highest concentration of phenols was recorded at 90 mM NaCl salinity level with application of 4 and 8 mg Se L^-1,that respectively produced 59%and 51%higher phenols than control treatment without Se.So,application of optimal Se level can increase the potential of garlic in a medium with relatively high level of NaCl.

Effect of Chloride Ions and Dissolved Oxygen on the Deactivation of Phenylalanine Ammonia-lyase

With the method of synthesizing the L-phenylalanine by trans-cinnamic acid and ammonia in the presence of phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) under high pH and high concentration of cinnamic acid, it is not favorable for the conversion because of the deactivation of the PAL.For this reason, it is important to find out the suita-

Activities of lipoxygenase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase in poplar leaves induced by insect herbivory and volatiles

A study was conducted to explore the defense response in woody plants after insect herbivory. The activities of two enzymes, lipoxygenase （LOX）, a key enzyme ofjasmonate （JA） pathway, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase （PAL）, a rate-limiting enzyme of phenyl- propanoid pathway, were measured in the leaves of one-year-old poplar （Populus simonii × P. pyramidalis ＇Opera 8277＇） cuttings after Clostera anachoreta larvae attack. The results show that the increased activities of LOX and PAL were found not only in the leaves wounded by C. anachoreta larvae but also in their tipper systemic leaves, indicating that JA and phenylpropanoid pathways were activated, and the defense response was stimulated systemically. The increase in LOX and PAL activities in neighboring intact poplar cuttings sug- gested that there exists the interplant communication between poplar plants mediated by the herbivore-induced volatiles. Methyl jasmonate （MeJA） was also proved to be an airborne signal to induce defense response in P simonii × P pyramidalis ＇Opera 8277＇ cuttings.

YCl_3-β-Phenylalanine(Phe)-H_2O体系的相化学行为

The solubilities of YCl 3 D,L β Phenyl α alanine(phe) H 2O ternary system at 25 ℃ were investigated using a semimicro phase equilibrium method and the refractive indices of the saturated solutions were determined. The results indicated that there are two new complexes formed in this system at 25 ℃, namely, Y(Phe)Cl 3·3H 2O and Y(Phe) 2Cl 3·6H 2O, both are incongreunt in water.

Removal of phenylalanine from water with calcined CuZnAl-CO3 layered double hydroxides

Cu-Zn-AI-CO3 layered double hydroxide （LDH）, with a Cu to Zn mole ratio of 5：1 and a （Cu＋Zn） to AI mole ratio of nearly 2, was prepared and its calcined product （CLDH） was obtained. Batch sorption studies were conducted to investigate removal of phenylalanine from water with CLDH. The results show that CLDH can be used as an effective adsorbent and its sorption capacity is higher than that of Mg-A1--CO3-LDH. The maximum adsorption was observed at pH 6.7. A maximum adsorption capacity is 37.25 mg/g. The adsorption processes follow the Lagergren＇s first order kinetic model. The adsorption data are fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm equation. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated, and the negative △G and positive △H indicate that the adsorption processes are spontaneous endothermic in nature. The mechanism of adsorption also suggests that the benzoate molecules are tilted, forming an angle with the hydroxyl layers.

Polyphenol Oxidase, Peroxidase and PhenylalanineAmmonium Lyase Induced in Postharvest Peach Fruitsby Inoculation with Pichia membranefaciensor Rhizopus stolonifer

Rhizopus rot of peach fruits could be significantly suppressed by Pichia membranefaciens. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD) and phenylalanine ammonium-lyase (PAL) activities induced by inoculation with P. membrane faciens or R. stolonifer were studied in postharvest peach fruits. The activities of PPO and PAL in peaches increased significantly after being inoculated with P. membrane faciens + R. stolonifer by 24 h, the activities maintained at a high level throughout the experiment. Under the condition of infected with R. stolonifer alone, activity of PPO and PAL could also increased, but the levels were lower than those treated with P. membrane faciens+ R. stolonifer. However, fruits inoculaed with P. membrane-faciens + R. stolonifer or R. stolonifer alone did not stimulated POD activity. The results suggest that the activation of these defense enzymes is involved in the action of P. membrane faciens against R. stolonifer.

Enhancement of Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase,Polyphenoloxidase,and Peroxidase in Cucumber Seedlings by Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera:Aleyrodidae) Infestation

In this study, the activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase （PAL）, polyphenoloxidase （PPO）, and peroxidase （POD） were assayed in cucumber seedlings （Cucumis sativus L.） at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after they were infested by Bemisia tabaci （Gennadius） using spectrophotometric analysis. The results indicated that herbivore infestation increased the activities of PAL, PPO, and POD. The enzymes showed different activity levels at different times after the infestation. The PAL activity reached the first high peak by 23.1% at 6 h and the highest peak by 29.1% at 48 h compared to the control. The PPO activity reached the first high peak by 22.7% at 6 h and the highest peak by 52.6% at 24 h, and the POD activity reached the highest peak by 213.2% at 6 h and another higher peak value by 135.2% at 96 h. The results suggest that the enhanced activities of the enzymes may contribute to bioprotection of cucumber plants against B. tabaci infestation.

EFFECTIVE INVERSION OF LEFT HEART REMODELING BY PHENYLALANINE IN ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION

Objective The aim is to ascertain whether phenylalanine (Phe) can inverse the left heart"remodeling" in patients with essential hypertension. Methods The changes of echocardiographic variables werecompared aler 3,6 and 9 months of observation between the Phe intervention group (Phe 1g/d+amiloride complex1 tablet/d, 20 cases) and control group (placebo 1g/d+amiloride complex 1 tablet/d, 20 cases) with eitherinterventricular septum and (or) post- wall thickness≥12mm, and were carried on further to compare incross- over trial. Results (1) Phe improved elfectively the left heart and systolic dyslunction; while theimprovement, also shown in control group due to the concurrent use of diuretic antihypertensive drug-amiloridecomplex, was much less evident than that in Phe group. (2) The disturbed left heart structure and systolic functionwere improved prominently while placebo was crossed over to Phe, and the improvement decreased afer Phe wascrrossed over to placebo. (3) The changes almost attained to its peak level after 6 months and not improved furtherat 9 months. (4) The differences seen between above 2 groops could not be eoplained by their diverse drops of bloodpressure. Conclusion Phe does exert an indopendent inverse effect on cardiac "remodeling", which mightimplicate an important clinical oplication upon the prevention and control of essential hypertension and itscomplications.

Spectrofluorimetric determination of zinc（Ⅱ）with N－salicylidene phenylalanine

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Chiral Resolution of β-dl-Phenylalanine Using Chiral Macrocyclic Nickel(Ⅱ) Complexes

The reactions of chiral four-coordinated nickel（Ⅱ） complex [Ni（RR-L）]（ClO4）2/[Ni（SS- L）]（ClO4）2 with β-dl-phenylalanine in acetonitrile/water gave a six-coordinated enantiomer of [Ni（RR-L）（β-d-HPhe）]（ClO4）2（1） and [Ni（SS-L）（β-l-HPhe）]（ClO4）2（2）, respectively（L = 5,5,7, 12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane, HPhe = phenylalanine）. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that the nickel（Ⅱ） atom displays a distorted octahedral coordination geometry by coordinating with four nitrogen atoms of L in a folded configuration, and two carboxylate oxygen atoms of β-d/l-HPhe in cis-position in both complexes. The monomers of [Ni（RR-L）（β-d-HPhe）]2＋ and [Ni（SS-L）（β-l-HPhe）]2＋ are connected through intermolecular hydrogen bonds to generate one-dimensional zigzag chains, respectively. The homochiral natures of 1 and 2 are confirmed by the results of CD spectroscopy.

Synthesis, Characterization and Antibacterial Properties of Rare Earth Complexes with L-Phenylalanine and o-Phenanthroline

New solid ternary complexes of rare earth with L-Phenylalanine （ L-Phe ） and o-Phenanthroline （Phen） were synthesized in ethyl alcohol solution. Their composition were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, IR, Raman, UV-VIS, TG-DTA. The compositions of the complexes were confirmed to be RE （ Phe ）3Phen Cl3 · 3H2O （ RE = La^3＋, Ce^3＋, Pr^3＋, Nd^3＋, Sm^3＋, Eu^3＋, Er^3＋, Y^3＋）. The antibacterial activities testing indicates that all these solid ternary complexes have antibacterial ability against Escherich coli, Staphy lococcus aureus, Candida albican （MIC are about 65 × 10^-4%, 15 × 10^-3%, 4 × 10^-2%, respectively）.

Hydrogenation of phenylpyruvic acid to phenylalanine catalyzed by Ni-B/SiO_2

Phenylalanine （Phe） is a significant amino acid that cannot be synthesized by human themselves but must be taken from environment. It was initially found that the nanosized amorphous Ni-B/SiO2 alloy prepared by the chemical reduction method was an effective catalyst for the preparation of Phe from phenylpyruvic acid （PPA） by amination and hydrogenation. It has been found that the amorphous Ni-B/SiO2 alloy catalyst exhibits superior activity and selectivity to the traditional catalysts Raney Ni and Urushibara nickel. The effects of reaction time, amounts of catalysts and ammonia solution, reaction temperature, and H2 pressure on the reaction have been investigated systematically. The results indicated that the yield of Phe was 97.9%, and the selectivity for Phe reached 98.9% when the reaction was carried out for 3 h at 333 K and 2.0 MPa of H2 with m（Cat.） ： m（PPA） = 0.6 ： 1.0 and n（NH3） ： n（PPA） = 3 ： 1. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, AAS, XPS, BET, and TEM, and the relationship between the catalyst structure and the catalytic activity was discussed in detail. It was found that the reason why Ni-B/SiO2 amorphous alloy catalyst was much more active for the preparation of Phe could be accounted for by the presence of electron-rich Ni due to electron donation from alloying B; the smaller size of Ni-B particles, the larger specific surface area of Ni-B/SiO2.

Chiral Separation of N-Benzoyl Phenylalanine Methyl Ester by Nonaqueous Capillary Electrophoresis

A successful chiral separation of N-benzoyl phenylalanine methyl ester has been achieved by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE) using P-CD as chiral selector in formamide (FA). Some experimental parameters influencing the chiral separation such as concentration of P-CD, ionic strength and apparent pH (pH*) are discussed.