Biological Function
Phenylalanine ammonia lyase can perform different functions in different species. It is found mainly in some plants, fungi, and yeast. In fungal and yeast cells, PAL plays an important catabolic role, generating carbon and nitrogen. In plants it is a key biosynthetic enzyme that catalyzes the first step in the synthesis of a variety of polyphenyl compounds and is mainly involved in defense mechanisms. PAL is involved in 5 metabolic pathways: tyrosine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and alkaloid biosynthesis ii.
Read more about this topic: Phenylalanine Ammonia-lyase
Famous quotes containing the words biological and/or function:
“Although there is no universal agreement as to a definition of life, its biological manifestations are generally considered to be organization, metabolism, growth, irritability, adaptation, and reproduction.”
—The Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition, the first sentence of the article on “life” (based on wording in the First Edition, 1935)
“It is the function of vice to keep virtue within reasonable bounds.”
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)