Detecting volatile amines is a significant topic in the quality control of food and medical diagnosis. We report the first Eu-coordination polymer (CP) as a sensory material for the detection of a class of amine vapors with high selectivity and rapid response.

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a b s t r a c t FNS I is a 2-oxoglutarate dependent dioxygenase (2-ODD) found mainly in species of the Apiaceae family. Here, an FNS I cDNA sequence was isolated from the liverwort Plagiochasma appendiculatum (Aytoniaceae) and characterized. The recombinant protein exhibited high FNS I activity catalyzing the conversion of naringenin to apigenin and 2-hydroxynaringenin. The critical residue for flavanone-2-hydroxylation activity was Tyr240, as identified from homology modeling and site-directed mutagenesis. The recombinant protein also showed some flavonol synthase activity, as it can convert dihydrokaempferol to kaempferol. When the Leu311 residue was mutated to Phe, the enzyme's capacity to convert dihydrokaempferol to kaempferol was substantially increased. PaFNS I represents a 2-ODD in which a hydrophobic p-stacking interaction between the key residue and the naringenin A-ring determines 2-hydroxyflavanone formation.

A chalcone synthase gene ( PaCHS ) was isolated and functionally characterized from liverwort. The ectopic expression of PaCHS in Marchantia paleacea callus raised the flavonoids content. Chalcone synthase (CHS; EC 2.3.1.74) is pivotal for the biosynthesis of flavonoid and anthocyanin pigments in plants. It produces naringenin chalcone by condensing one p-coumaroyl- and three malonyl-coenzyme A thioesters through a polyketide intermediate that is cyclized by intramolecular Claisen condensation. Although CHSs of higher plants have been extensively studied, enzyme properties of the CHSs in liverworts have been scarcely characterized. In this study, we report the cloning and characterization of CHS (designated as PaCHS) from the liverwort Plagiochasma appendiculatum. The gene product was 60-70 % identical with chalcone synthases from other species, and contained the characteristic conserved Cys-His-Asn catalytic triad. The recombinant PaCHS was able to catalyze p-coumaroyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA to generate naringenin in vitro. Heterologously expressed PaCHS protein showed similar kinetic properties to those of higher plant CHS. The ectopic expression of PaCHS in Marchantia paleacea callus raised the content of the total flavonoids. These results suggested that PaCHS played a key role in the flavonoids biosynthesis in liverworts. Furthermore, when the thallus of P. appendiculatum was treated with abiotic stress inducers methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid and abscisic acid, PaCHS expression was enhanced. This is the first time that a CHS in liverworts has been functionally characterized.

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