Main conclusion Two isoforms of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) have been isolated as cDNA sequences from the hornwort Anthoceros agrestis . The encoded enzymes convert l -phenylalanine and to lower extents l -tyrosine and l -histidine. Thus, the functional presence of the general phenylpropanoid pathway in one of the earliest land plant groups is established. Abstract The hornwort Anthoceros agrestis has an elaborated pheno...

Main conclusion Tyrosine aminotransferase (AaTAT) from the hornwort Anthoceros agrestis Paton (Anthocerotaceae) was amplified and expressed in E. coli . The active enzyme is able to accept a wide range of substrates with distinct preference for l -tyrosine, therefore, possibly catalysing the initial step in rosmarinic acid biosynthesis. Abstract The presence of rosmarinic acid (RA) in the hornwort A. agrestis is well known, an...