Volume - 13 | Issue-1
Volume - 13 | Issue-1
Volume - 13 | Issue-1
Volume - 13 | Issue-1
Volume - 13 | Issue-1
5-Phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) is an essential substrate for biosynthesis of nucleotides, tryptophan and histidine, functioning as the phosphoribosyl donor. PRPP is synthesised from ribose-5-phosphate and ATP by PRPP synthetase (ribose phosphate pyrophosphokinase, EC 2.7.6.1). In the present review, the occurrence and biosynthesis of PRPP in plant cells and tissues are summarized, and then the properties of two types of plant PRPP synthetases are described. In addition to the inorganic phosphate (Pi)-dependent PRPP synthetases (class I) which have similar properties to mammalian enzymes, plant specific Pi-independent PRPP synthetases (class II) have been discovered in plants. Finally, reports which show fluctuation of the PRPP synthetase activity accompanied by various physiological phenomena in plants and the transgenic plants which enhanced PRPP synthetase activity and relation to biotechnology are introduced.