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Destruction of Hydroxycinnamic Acids coupled to Oxidation of Indolyl-3-acetic Acid by Peroxidase as a Possible Mechanism for Adaptive Changes of Indolyl-3-acetic Acid Oxidase Activity

Abstract

CLAIMS have been made that plant tissue after pre-ineubation with indolyl-3-acetic acid (IAA) shows an enhanced activity of IAA oxidase1,2. Galston3 has proposed the idea that these adaptive changes are at least partly due to changes in the co-factor-inhibitor balance of this enzyme. The naturally occurring co-factors and inhibitors which have been identified so far all appeared to be sugar derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acids and the related flavonols4–7. We found that when the hydroxycinnamic acids P-coumaric acid, ferulic acid or caffeic acid are used as co-factor or inhibitor in the IAA oxidase reaction of horse-radish peroxidase, destruction of these modifiers takes place as a function of the disappearance of IAA. This may offer additional evidence for Galston's hypothesis.

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ENGELSMA, G. Destruction of Hydroxycinnamic Acids coupled to Oxidation of Indolyl-3-acetic Acid by Peroxidase as a Possible Mechanism for Adaptive Changes of Indolyl-3-acetic Acid Oxidase Activity. Nature 202, 88–89 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/202088a0

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