4-Coumarate:coenzyme A ligase is a key enzyme in the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway for monolignol and flavonoid biosynthesis. It catalyzes the synthesis of hydroxycinnamate-CoA thioesters in a two-step reaction, involving the formation of hydroxycinnamate-AMP anhydride and the nucleophilic substitution of AMP by CoA. The phenylpropanoid pathway is one of the most important secondary metabolism pathways in plants and hydroxycinnamate-CoA thioesters are the precursors of lignin and other important phenylpropanoids.
Structure:3NI2; Populus tomentosa 4-coumarate:CoA ligase binds to intermediate anolog adenosine 59-(3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propyl)phosphate (APP), contacts at 4A.