Uridine diphosphoglucose-cyanohydrin glucosyltransferase

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Uridine diphosphoglucose-cyanohydrin glucosyltransferase is an enzyme in plants that attaches a glucose molecule to a cyanohydrin. It uses UDP-glucose as the glucose donor and adds glucose to cyanohydrins to form cyanogenic glycosides, such as prunasin. The reaction is: UDP-glucose + cyanohydrin → UDP + cyanohydrin glucoside. This enzyme belongs to the glycosyltransferase family (GT1) and has the EC number 2.4.1.90. It helps plants defend themselves by producing cyanogenic compounds that release hydrogen cyanide when the plant is damaged. The enzyme is found in plants that make cyanogenic glycosides, including seeds of almonds and other Prunus species, as well as in other cyanogenic plants.