Reaction: L-tryptophan + pyruvate = indole-3-pyruvate + L-alanine
For diagram of reaction click here or click here (mechanism).
Other name(s): TAA1 (gene name); vt2 (gene name)
Systematic name: L-tryptophan:pyruvate aminotransferase
Comments: This plant enzyme, along with EC 1.14.13.168, indole-3-pyruvate monooxygenase, is responsible for the biosynthesis of the plant hormone indole-3-acetate from L-tryptophan.
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, Metacyc, PDB, CAS registry number:
References:
1. Tao, Y., Ferrer, J.L., Ljung, K., Pojer, F., Hong, F., Long, J.A., Li, L., Moreno, J.E., Bowman, M.E., Ivans, L.J., Cheng, Y., Lim, J., Zhao, Y., Ballare, C.L., Sandberg, G., Noel, J.P. and Chory, J. Rapid synthesis of auxin via a new tryptophan-dependent pathway is required for shade avoidance in plants. Cell 133 (2008) 164-176. [PMID: 18394996]
2. Mashiguchi, K., Tanaka, K., Sakai, T., Sugawara, S., Kawaide, H., Natsume, M., Hanada, A., Yaeno, T., Shirasu, K., Yao, H., McSteen, P., Zhao, Y., Hayashi, K., Kamiya, Y. and Kasahara, H. The main auxin biosynthesis pathway in Arabidopsis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 108 (2011) 18512-18517. [PMID: 22025724]
3. Phillips, K.A., Skirpan, A.L., Liu, X., Christensen, A., Slewinski, T.L., Hudson, C., Barazesh, S., Cohen, J.D., Malcomber, S. and McSteen, P. vanishing tassel2 encodes a grass-specific tryptophan aminotransferase required for vegetative and reproductive development in maize. Plant Cell 23 (2011) 550-566. [PMID: 21335375]
4. Zhao, Y. Auxin biosynthesis: a simple two-step pathway converts tryptophan to indole-3-acetic acid in plants. Mol. Plant 5 (2012) 334-338. [PMID: 22155950]