Kinetic and regulatory properties of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Citrus sinensis

1. 1. The kinetic and regulatory properties of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Citrus sinensis fruit tissue were investigated. The substrate specificity of the enzyme was determined as well as the effects of pH and temperature on the catalytic activity. 2. 2. The enzyme exhibits negative homotropic effects between the substrate binding centra. 3. 3. Binding of l-phenylalanine to the enzyme is characterized by two K_m-values; K_m^L = 13 μM and K_m^H = 52 μM; with a Hill-interaction coefficient of 0.75. 4. 4. The enzyme is subject to product inhibition by trans-cinnamate, but the effects of allosteric effectors and inhibitors seem to be of much greater importance in the short-term regulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism in Citrus sinensis. 5. 5. The enzyme activity was found to be modulated by end-products of diverging metabolic pathways, viz. umbelliferone, scopoletin, naringenin, quercetin, kaempferol, benzoic acid and gallic acid.