MOSCOW, September 16. /TASS/. Scientists at Institute of Living Systems of Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (Kaliningrad) proved the importance of enzymes of biosynthesis of phenolic compounds — phenylalanine and tyrosine — in the formation of wheat immunity, announced the press service of the university on Thursday. 

According to biologists, one of the ways to increase plant resistance to various adverse influences is to create barrier structures that provide nonspecific plant immunity. A phenolic polymer, lignin, can act as that kind of an "immune" barrier. Thanks to this connection, the inner cell wall of the plant becomes stronger, and the plant itself becomes more viable.

“In order to establish a connection between the key enzyme of phenylpropanoid synthesis and the accumulation of lignin in wheat at an early stage of plant development, we selected substances that block the work of this enzyme. Our hypothesis was confirmed — when the activity of phenylalanine (tyrosine) — ammonia-lyase decreased, the plants accumulated significantly less lignin," the press service quoted the project manager, candidate of biological sciences Pavel Feduraev, as saying.

However, after the researchers treated the plants with the amino acid substrates, phenylalanine and tyrosine, the plants demonstrated an active increase in lignin.

"Thus, we can say with confidence that phenylalanine and tyrosine are, in a way, inducers of wheat resistance and actively contribute to the establishment of a secondary cell wall enriched with lignin," the scientist added.

The results of the study, which were funded by Russian Foundation for Basic Research and Kaliningrad Region's administration, were published in the scientific journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS).