Lignans and norlignans are two major classes of plant phenylpropanoid compounds and their biosynthesis has been receiving widespread interests for their importance in heartwood formation and pharmaceutical applications (Umezawa, 2003, 2005).
Initial steps of the lignan biosynthetic pathway, that is, the pathway from coniferyl alcohol to matairesinol, have been well-established, and several cDNAs encoding enzymes catalyzing these steps have been cloned (Umezawa, 2003, 2005). However, further conversion of matairesinol to many other lignans remained to be elucidated. For example, in spite of frequent occurrence of methoxyl groups in lignan molecules, little is known about O-methyltransferases (OMTs) involved in O-methylation of lignans including matairesinol.
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Umezawa, T. (2007). Lignan and Norlignan Biosynthesis and Biotechnology. In: Xu, Z., Li, J., Xue, Y., Yang, W. (eds) Biotechnology and Sustainable Agriculture 2006 and Beyond. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6635-1_54
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