Cyanogenesis in cassava. The role of hydroxynitrile lyase in root cyanide production

Plant Physiology
Wanda WhiteRichard Sayre

Abstract

In the cyanogenic crop cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz), the final step in cyanide production is the conversion of acetone cyanohydrin, the deglycosylation product of linamarin, to cyanide plus acetone. This process occurs spontaneously at pH greater than 5. 0 or enzymatically and is catalyzed by hydroxynitrile lyase (HNL). Recently, it has been demonstrated that acetone cyanohydrin is present in poorly processed cassava root food products. Since it has generally been assumed that HNL is present in all cassava tissues, we reinvestigated the enzymatic properties and tissue-specific distribution of HNL in cassava. We report the development of a rapid two-step purification protocol for cassava HNL, which yields an enzyme that is catalytically more efficient than previously reported (Hughes, J., Carvalho, F., and Hughes, M. [1994] Arch Biochem Biophys 311: 496-502). Analyses of the distribution of HNL activity and protein indicate that the accumulation of acetone cyanohydrin in roots is due to the absence of HNL, not to inhibition of the enzyme. Furthermore, the absence of HNL in roots and stems is associated with very low steady-state HNL transcript levels. It is proposed that the lack of HNL in cassava roots accounts for the h...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 5, 2005·Plant Molecular Biology·Dimuth Siritunga, Richard Sayre
Jul 13, 2001·Plant Science : an International Journal of Experimental Plant Biology·T EksittikulT Limpaseni
Jul 5, 2003·Food and Chemical Toxicology : an International Journal Published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association·D Diasolua NgudiF Lambein
Oct 25, 2000·Trends in Plant Science·E Pichersky, D R Gang
Dec 27, 2005·Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry·Yasuhisa AsanoTohru Ohmiya
Apr 30, 2011·Annual Review of Plant Biology·Richard SayrePeng Zhang
Dec 25, 2012·International Journal of Food Microbiology·Stephen AbbanLine Thorsen
Jan 10, 2012·Current Opinion in Biotechnology·Elisa Leyva-GuerreroRichard T Sayre
Jul 7, 2015·Journal of Human Evolution·Thomas S Kraft, Vivek V Venkataraman
Apr 10, 2009·Current Opinion in Biotechnology·Maria Gallo, Richard Sayre
Aug 27, 2014·Chemistry, an Asian Journal·Lingliang LongZhixiang Han
Mar 14, 2017·Frontiers in Plant Science·Tawanda ZidengaRichard T Sayre
Dec 26, 2016·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·S MomboE Schreck
May 14, 2011·Journal of Integrative Plant Biology·Jia LiuPeng Zhang
Oct 13, 2017·International Journal of Epidemiology·Gang LiuQi Sun
Jun 20, 2012·Plant Physiology·Tawanda ZidengaRichard Sayre
Mar 27, 2021·Journal of Experimental Botany·Lucía Arenas-AlfonsecaIrene García
Aug 15, 2002·Plant Physiology·María Angélica SantanaRafael Rangel Aldao
Jul 8, 2021·Legal Medicine·Tadashi NishioMakoto Nogami

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