Figure 1.

Putative biosynthetic pathway for taxiphyllin and triglochinin, the two cyanogenic glucosides in T. maritima. In the present study, CYP79E1 and CYP79E2 were isolated and shown to catalyze the conversion of l-Tyr to (Z)-p-hydroxyphenylacetaldoxime. A CYP71E1 homolog is thought to catalyze the conversion of (Z)-p-hydroxyphenylacetaldoxime to p-hydroxymandelonitrile. p-Hydroxyphenylacetonitrile is thought to constitute the branch point between taxiphyllin and triglochinin synthesis. Dhurrin is shown for comparison.