Evolution of rosmarinic acid biosynthesis

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Rosmarinic acid synthase (RAS; hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:hydroxyphenyllactate hydroxycinna-moyltransferase) is the essential enzyme for the biosynthesis of rosmarinic acid (RA) forming the ester linkage between the hydroxycinnamoyl part and the hydroxyphenyllactate moiety of the molecule. RAS should therefore be present in all rosmarinic acid (RA)-accumulating plants which can be found widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom. In lower plants, RA is present in hornworts (e.g. Anthoceros) and ferns (Blechnum). RA is moreover documented from several families of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous angiosperms, thus being a natural compound found in a wide range of land plants. RAS from Coleus blumei (Lamiaceae) has been cloned recently and will be used as basis to isolate further RAS-genes/cDNAs from plants and express the encoded proteins for activity assays. A molecular characterization of RAS-sequences from these different plant groups and phylogenetic analyses will give indications on the evolution of RA-biosynthesis either as a monophyletic trait which has been switched off in many taxa or as an ability that has been gained several times independently.