BIOGENESIS OF RIBOFLAVIN IN GREEN LEAVES

Abstract

It was found that riboflavin was biosynthesized by various green leaves from 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine without participation of other C sources. It was established that the synthetic reaction, observed with a crude preparation from spinach leaves, was catalyzed by an enzyme. It has an optimum pH of 7.5 and follows the 1st order kinetics. The stoichiometry of the vitamin synthesis from the substrate was determined and a hypothetical scheme of the mechanism for the biogenesis was proposed. The effects of a number of substances on the enzyme reaction were studied.