MUTANT PLANT CAFFEIC ACID/5-HYDROXYFERULIC ACID 3/5-0-METHYLTRANSFERASES (COMT), METHODS FOR PREPARATION AND USE THEREOF

摘要

The present invention provides compositions comprising caffeic acid /5-hydroxyferulic acid 3/5-O-methyltransferase (COMT) in crystalline form. There are provided high resolution structures of COMT complexed with S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH) and ferulate and complexed with SAH and 5-hydroxyconiferaldehyde. The discovered structure of a COMT provides the first three-dimensional view of the structural basis for substrate selectivity by COMT between lignin precursors in the lignin biosynthetic pathway. The present invention provides further compositions derived from and methods of using the three-dimensional atomic coordinates disclosed herein.