FIGURE 1.

Model of cyanide assimilation in plants. CAS converts cyanide released from the cyanogen linamarin, to cyanoalanine plus hydrogen sulfide in the presence of cysteine. Cyanoalanine is converted by a nitrilase to asparagine, which is then converted to aspartate and ammonia by asparaginase. In this way, cyanide nitrogen can be incorporated into the free amino acid pool of the plant. An alternative pathway (red arrow) can potentially result in cyanide detoxified to thiocyanate by rhodanese.