This book, divided into 5 parts, deals with topics on amino acids in higher plants. Part I (enzymes and metabolism) contains 16 chapters pursuing the theme of amino acid metabolism through the driving actions of the principal enzymes, emphasizing recent advances particularly with reference to localization, biophysical characterization and regulation. Part II (dynamics) includes two chapters designed to explore transport dynamics at the cellular and whole plant levels and the relationship to external factors. Part III (chemical ecology) contains 6 chapters designed to encapsulate the theme of biochemical diversity with reference to the impact of amino acids and related derivatives on metabolic pathways, ecology and the environment. Part IV (plant products: quality and safety) has 3 chapters indicating the potential and actual value of plant products as sources of amino acids for the nutrition of humans and other vertebrates. The primary objective in the final part is to collate the main findings in the foregoing chapters within an integrated overview. Issues such as comparative metabolism, signal transduction and molecular interactions may be considered within a more comprehensive perspective. Similarly, the effects of biotic and environmental pressures on amino acid metabolism and defence mechanisms may be developed into an integrated model of plant responses to a changing environment.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Glutamate Dehydrogenase / G.O. Osuji and W.C. Madu -- Alanine Aminotransferase : Amino Acid Metabolism in Higher Plants / A. Raychaudhuri -- Aspartate Aminotransferase / C.D. Leasure and Z-H. He -- Tyrosine Aminotransferase / A.O. Hudson -- An insight Into the Role and Regulation of Glutamine Synthetase in Plants / C. Sengupta-Gopalan and J.L. Ortega -- Asparagine Synthetase / S.M.G. Duff -- Glutamate Decarboxylase / J.J. Molina-Rueda, A. Garrido-Aranda and F. Gallardo -- l-Arginine-Dependent Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity / F.J. Corpas, L.A. del Río, J.M. Palma and J.B. Barroso -- Ornithine : At the Crossroads of Multiple Paths to Amino Acids and Polyamines / R. Majumdar, R. Minocha and S.C. Minocha -- Polyamines in Plants : Biosynthesis From Arginine, and Metabolic, Physiological and Stress-response Roles / A.K. Mattoo, T. Fatima, R.K. Upadhyay and A.K. Handa -- Serine Acetyltransferase / M. Watanabe, H-M. Hubberten, K. Saito and R Hoefgen -- Cysteine Homeostasis / I. García, L.C. Romero and C. Gotor -- Lysine Metabolism / L.O. Medici, A.C. Nazareno, S.A. Gaziola, D. Schmidt and R.A. Azevedo -- Histidine / R.A. Ingle -- Amino Acid Synthesis Under Abiotic Stress / E. Planchet and A.M. Limami -- The Central Role of Glutamate and Aspartate in the Post-translational Control of Respiration and Nitrogen Assimilation in Plant Cells / B. O'Leary and W.C. Plaxton -- Amino Acid Export in Plants / M.B. Price and S. Okumoto -- Uptake, Transport and Redistribution of Amino Nitrogen in Woody Plants / S. Pfautsch, T.L. Bell and A. Gessler -- Auxin Biosynthesis / J.W Chandler -- Involvement of Tryptophan-pathway-derived Secondary Metabolism in the Defence Responses of Grasses / A. Ishihara, T. Matsukawa, T. Nomura, M. Sue, A. Oikawa, Y. Okazaki and S. Tebayashi -- Melatonin : Synthesis From Tryptophan and its Role in Higher Plants / M.B. Arnao and J. Hernández-Ruiz -- Glucosinolate Biosynthesis From Amino Acids / H.U. Stotz, P.D. Brown and J. Tokuhisa -- Natural Toxins that Affect Plant Amino Acid Metabolism / S.O. Duke and F.E. Dayan -- Glyphosate : The Fate and Toxicology of a Herbicidal Amino Acid Derivative / D.A. Saltmiras, D.R. Farmer, A. Mehrsheikh and M.S. Bleeke -- Amino Acid Analysis of Plant Products / S.M. Rutherfurd -- Metabolic Amino Acid Availability in Foods of Plant Origin : Implications for Human and Livestock Nutrition / C.L. Levesque -- Toxicology of Non-protein Amino Acids / J.P.F. D'Mello -- Delivering Innovative Solutions and Paradigms for a Changing Environment / J.P.F. D'Mello.

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