Dhurrin, I ((S)-p-hydroxymandelonitrile-beta-D-glucopyranoside), and taxiphyllin, II (the (R) epimer), occur in the genera Sorghum and Taxus, respectively. Both derive biosynthetically from L-tyrosine via the hydroxylation of p-hydroxyphenylacetonitrile, III. (3R)- and (3S)-L-[3-3H1]tyrosine, prepared by enzymic hydroxylation of the corresponding phenylalanines, were fed separately to shoots fr...

The demonstration that enolpyruvate-P plus n-erythrose 4-phosphate is converted enzymically to shikimic acid led to the suggestion (1) that the first intermediate in this process was 3deoxy-n-or&in&heptulosonic acid ‘I-phosphate (Compound V, Pig. 1). It was postulated that the newly formed hydroxyl group on C-4 had the stereochemistry shown in Compound V since it would then correspond to that o...

Sorghum bicolor L. is a vital cereal crop for global food security. Its adaptability to diverse climates make it economically, socially, and environmentally valuable. However, soil salinization caused by climate extremes poses threat sorghum. This study aimed identify candidate salt-tolerant genes single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) performing comparative transcriptome analysis on mutant sor...

This thesis is divided into six parts, all centered around the development of dynamic (i.e., reversibly interacting) systems of molecules and their applications in dynamic combinatorial chemistry (DCC) and organic synthesis. Part one offers a general introduction, as well as a more detailed description of DCC, being the central concept of this thesis. Part two explores the potential of the nitr...

A microsomal fraction from seedlings of Sorghum bicolor (Linn) Moench has been shown to catalyze the conversion of L-tyrosine to p-hydroxymandelonitrile via p-hydroxyphenylacetaldoxime. This transformation is consistent with the general pathway for cyanogenic glycoside biosynthesis proposed on the basis of in vivo experiments. When the microsomal fraction was combined with a protein fraction fr...