The biosynthesis pathway of rutin in mulberry (
Morus alba L.) leaves begins with
phenylalanine, which produces
cinnamic acid under the action of
phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL). Cinnamic acid is catalyzed by cinnamic acid-4-hydroxylase (C4H) and
4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) to form
p-
coumaroyl-CoA. Subsequently,
chalcone synthase (CHS) catalyzes the condensation of
p-coumaroyl-CoA and three molecules of
malonyl-CoA to produce
naringenin chalcone, which is eventually converted into naringenin flavanone with the participation of
chalcone isomerase (CHI). With the action of flavanone 3-hydroxylas (F3H),
dihydrokaempferol (DHK) is generated. DHK can be further hydroxylated by flavonoid 3´-hydroxylase (F3'H) to produce
dihydroquercetin (DHQ), which is then catalyzed by
flavonol synthase (FLS) to form
quercetin. After quercetin is catalyzed by UDP-glucose flavonoid 3-
O-glucosyltransferase (
UFGT) to form
isoquercitrin, finally, the formation of rutin from isoquercitrin is catalyzed by flavonoid 3-
O-glucoside L-rhamnosyltransferase. == References ==