ABSTRACT
Stoichiometry of amine consumption and aldehyde production has been determined for the native and copper-free lentil enzyme. Very little is known at present about the physiological role and the regulation mechanism of the enzymes catalyzing the degradation of amines and polyamines in the plant kingdom, although a great bulk of literature is to be found on the distribution and multiplicity of function of polyamines. Different from the other plant enzymes, Euphorbia characias has been found to be sensitive to thiol reagents in the presence of aminic substrate. The enzyme activity is greatest in the growing regions and decreases with the maturity and senescence of the plant. Polyamine oxidases (PAOs) provide the only specific pathway of spermine and spermidine degradation in higher plants. The flavoprotein nature of maize PAO had been inferred by inhibition studies performed with acridine compounds such as quinacrine, rivanol, and acriflavine.
