Publications by authors named "Catherine M Kramer"

The enzyme p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is ubiquitous in plants and functions in the tyrosine catabolic pathway, resulting in the formation of homogentisate. Homogentisate is the aromatic precursor of all plastoquinones and tocochromanols, including tocopherols and tocotrienols. Soybean (Glycine max (L.

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Flavonoids represent a large and important group of plant natural products that are ubiquitous in the plant kingdom. Epidemiological studies have shown the health benefits of a diet high in flavonoids. However, the dietary intake of flavonoids in most western populations is limited, creating a need to find alternative food sources for these polyphenolic secondary metabolites.

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A protocol for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with mannose selection was developed for cotyledon petiole, hypocotyl and leaf explants of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L. Mill). More than 400 transgenic plants from three tomato varieties were selected with 1% mannose in combination with 0.

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A bio-fermentation technique was used for the in vivo diversification of flavonoid structures based on expression in Escherichia coli of six O-methyltransferases (OMTs) from Mentha x piperita and one O-glucosyltransferase (GT) each from Arabidopsis thaliana and Allium cepa. Enzymes were shown to be regio-specific in in vitro experiments and modified a broad range of flavonoid substrates at various positions. Using the flavonol quercetin as a model substrate, we show that the product spectrum produced with the in vivo approach is identical to that found in vitro.

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