Enzymatic rearrangement of flavanone to isoflavone

Abstract
A microsomal preparation from elicitor‐challenged soybean cell suspension cultures catalyzes an NADPH‐dependent and dioxygen‐dependent rearrangement of (2S)‐naringenin to genistein. The conversion of (2S)‐5, 4'‐dihydroxyflavanone to daidzein was also catalyzed by this preparation. The ‘isoflavone synthase’ was found in elicitor‐challenged soybean seedlings as well.