enzymology Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

, a leucoanthocyanidin reductase () (LAR, aka leucocyanidin reductase or LCR) is an

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

that catalyzes the

chemical reaction A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the IUPAC nomenclature for organic transformations, chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that only involve the pos ...

:(2R,3S)-catechin + NADP⁺ + H₂O

\rightleftharpoons

2,3-trans-3,4-cis-leucocyanidin + NADPH + H⁺ The 3 substrates of this enzyme are (2R,3S)-catechin, NADP⁺, and H₂O, whereas its 3

products Product may refer to: Business * Product (business), an item that serves as a solution to a specific consumer problem. * Product (project management), a deliverable or set of deliverables that contribute to a business solution Mathematics * Produ ...

are 2,3-trans-3,4-cis-leucocyanidin,

NADPH Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, abbreviated NADP or, in older notation, TPN (triphosphopyridine nucleotide), is a cofactor used in anabolic reactions, such as the Calvin cycle and lipid and nucleic acid syntheses, which require NAD ...

, and H⁺. This enzyme belongs to the family of

oxidoreductase In biochemistry, an oxidoreductase is an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of electrons from one molecule, the reductant, also called the electron donor, to another, the oxidant, also called the electron acceptor. This group of enzymes usually ut ...

s, specifically those acting on CH or CH₂ groups with NAD⁺ or NADP⁺ as acceptor. The

systematic name A systematic name is a name given in a systematic way to one unique group, organism, object or chemical substance, out of a specific population or collection. Systematic names are usually part of a nomenclature. A semisystematic name or semitrivial ...

of this enzyme class is (2R,3S)-catechin:NADP⁺ 4-oxidoreductase. This enzyme is also called leucocyanidin reductase. This enzyme participates in

flavonoid biosynthesis Flavonoids are synthesized by the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway in which the amino acid phenylalanine is used to produce 4-coumaroyl-CoA. This can be combined with malonyl-CoA to yield the true backbone of flavonoids, a group of compounds ...

. The enzyme can be found in the plant '' Hedysarum sulphurescens'' and in ''

Vitis vinifera ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. There are curre ...

'' (grape).

References

Further reading