ScienceSeptember 2, 2026

arabinosyltransferase

uh-rab-in-oh-sil-TRANS-fur-ays

Definition

A specific type of enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of an arabinose sugar molecule to another compound.

Etymology

Derived from 'arabinose' (a sugar originally isolated from gum arabic) and 'transferase' (an enzyme that transfers a chemical group). It combines the chemical naming conventions for the sugar substrate and the functional role of the enzyme.

In the news

The article mentions this enzyme in the context of plant communication, noting that a specific tomato version of it allows plants to convert airborne chemical signals from neighbors into stored defensive compounds.

A single gene on chromosome 7 of a wild tomato lets modern hybrids grow under 24-hour light and yield up to 20% more fruit

Read the full article ↗

ScienceBlog.com

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