The origin of the flavonoid biosynthetic enzyme chalcone isomerase has remained a mystery. A combination of phylogenetic analysis, crystallography, biochemistry and genetics has uncovered how a stereospecific chalcone isomerase could have evolved from a nonenzymatic ancestral gene.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Rausher, M.D. in The Science of Flavonoids (ed. Grotewold, E.) 175–211 (Springer, 2006).
Verwoert, I.I.G.S. et al. J. Bacteriol. 174, 2851–2857 (1992).
Winkel-Shirley, B. Plant Physiol. 126, 485–493 (2001).
Ngaki et al. Nature published online, doi:10.1038/nature11009 (13 May 2012).
Jez, J.M. et al. Nat. Struct. Biol. 7, 786–791 (2000).
Ikura, T., Kinoshita, K. & Ito, I. Protein Eng. Des. Sel. 21, 83–89 (2008).
Jakob, R.P. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 106, 20282–20287 (2009).
Stafford, H.A. Plant Physiol. 96, 680–685 (1991).
Oteiza, P.I. et al. Clin. Dev. Immunol. 12, 19–25 (2005).
Peer, W.A. & Murphy, A.S. in The Science of Flavonoids (ed. Grotewold, E.) 239–268 (Springer, 2006).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The author declares no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Peer, W. The enzyme perfected. Nat Chem Biol 8, 607–608 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1006
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1006
