The enzymatically dehydrogenative polymerization of coniferyl aldehyde and coniferyl alcohol was studied to understand lignins
in cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD)-downregulated plants. The sample dimers were prepared by polymerization under three
reaction systems (coniferyl alcohol, coniferyl aldehyde, and their combination) with horseradish peroxidase/H
2O
2 under the conditions of limited reaction time. In addition, the residual amount of substrate in each reaction was determined
at specified time intervals. In the reaction system of coniferyl aldehyde, the 5-5-type dimer was formed in preference to
β-β and
β-5 dimers; in the reaction system of coniferyl alcohol the
β-5 dimer was preferentially formed. Furthermore, it was revealed when quantifying dimers among reaction systems that the total
dimer formation capability of coniferyl alcohol clearly surpassed that of coniferyl aldehyde. However, the dimers cross-coupled
with coniferyl alcohol and coniferyl aldehyde were formed in amounts not accounted for by the difference seen in dimer formation
abilities with the two substrates.
Key words Coniferyl alcohol DHP - Coniferyl aldehyde DHP - Coniferyl aldehyde dimer - Coniferyl alcoholconiferyl aldehyde DHP - Model of abnormal lignin
Part of this paper was presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Tokyo, April 1999