Dirigent proteins: molecular characteristics and potential biotechnological applications.

Publikations-Art

Zeitschriftenbeitrag (peer-reviewed)

Autoren

Pickel, B., Schaller, A.

Erscheinungsjahr

2013

Veröffentlicht in

Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol.

Band/Volume

97/

Seite (von - bis)

8427-8438

Dirigent proteins (DIRs) are thought to play important roles in plant secondary metabolism. They lack catalytic activity but direct the outcome of bimolecular coupling reactions towards regio- and stereospecific
product formation. Functionally described DIRs confer specificity to the oxidative coupling of coniferyl alcohol resulting in the preferred production of either (+)- or (-)-pinoresinol, which are the first intermediates in the enantio-complementary pathways for lignan biosynthesis. DIRs are extracellular
glycoproteins with high β-strand content and have been found in all land plants investigated so far. Their ability to capture and orientate radicals represents a unique naturally evolved concept for the control of radical dimerization reactions. Although oxidative coupling is commonly used in biological systems, its wider application in chemical synthesis is often limited by insufficient selectivity. This minireview gives an overview of functionally described DIRs and their molecular characteristics and wants to inspire further research for their use in biotechnological applications.