Distribution of Secondary Plant Metabolites and Their Biosynthetic Enzymes in Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Leaves

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Abstract
Leaves of a novel strain of pea (P. sativum L.) were used to determine the distribution of secondary metabolites and their biosythetic enzymes. Leaf epidermal layers in this strain are easily separated from the parenchyma. Anthocyanins and flavonol glycosides were localized in epidermal vacuoles only. Among the biosynthetic enzymes studied, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5), S-adenosyl-1-methionine (SAM):caffeic acid and SAM:quercetin methyltransferases (o-dihydric phenol methyltransferase, EC 2.1.1.42) and a flavonoid 7-O-glucosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.91) were chiefly localized in the parenchyma, whereas trans-cinnamate 4-monooxygenase (EC 1.14.13.11), hydroxycinnamate:CoA ligases (EC 6.2.1.12) and a flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.91) were present mainly in the epideris. Flavonone (chalcone) synthase acivity was present only in the epideris, whereas chalcone isomerase (EC 5.5.1.6) was evenly distributed in epidermal and parenchyma tissues.
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