Enzymatic rearrangement of flavanone to isoflavone

Abstract

A microsomal preparation from elicitor‐challenged soybean cell suspension cultures catalyzes an NADPH‐dependent and dioxygen‐dependent rearrangement of (2 S )‐naringenin to genistein. The conversion of (2 S )‐5, 4'‐dihydroxyflavanone to daidzein was also catalyzed by this preparation. The ‘isoflavone synthase’ was found in elicitor‐challenged soybean seedlings as well.