Bioinformatic study of phenylalanine ammonia Lyase (PAL) in Melissa officinalis L.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis, Lamiaceae) is a well-known medicinal plant. Amongst the biologically active ingredients are a number of phenolic compounds, the most prominent of which is rosmarinic acid. Two enzymes of the general phenylpropanoid pathway are phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and 4-coumarate:coenzyme A-ligase (4CL) (weitzel & Petersen, 2010). Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (EC 4.3.1.24) is an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction converting L-phenylalanine to ammonia and trans-cinnamic acid (camm et al., 1973). Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) is the first and committed step in the phenyl propanoid pathway and is therefore involved in the biosynthesis of the polyphenol compounds such as flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, and lignin in plants (fritz et al., 1976; tanaka et al., 1989).

Keywords:

bioinformaticو Melissa officinalis , phenylalanine ammonia , yase