Editing Capsaicin (section)

===Biosynthetic pathway===
Plants exclusively of the genus ''[[Capsicum]]'' produce capsaicinoids, which are [[alkaloid]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Nelson EK, Dawson LE|title=Constitution of capsaicin, the pungent principle of ''Capsicum''. III|journal=J Am Chem Soc|date=1923|volume=45|issue=9|pages=2179–2181|doi=10.1021/ja01662a023|bibcode=1923JAChS..45.2179N }}</ref>  Capsaicin is believed to be synthesized in the [[Locule|interlocular]] [[septum#Botany|septum]] of chili peppers and depends on the gene ''AT3'', which resides at the ''pun1'' [[Locus (genetics)|locus]], and which encodes a putative [[acyltransferase]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Stewart C, Kang BC, Liu K, Mazourek M, Moore SL, Yoo EY, Kim BD, Paran I, Jahn MM | title = The Pun1 gene for pungency in pepper encodes a putative acyltransferase | journal = The Plant Journal | volume = 42 | issue = 5 | pages = 675–688 | date = June 2005 | pmid = 15918882 | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2005.02410.x | title-link = doi | doi-access = free }}</ref>

Biosynthesis of the capsaicinoids occurs in the glands of the pepper fruit where capsaicin synthase condenses [[vanillylamine]] from the [[phenylpropanoid]] pathway with an acyl-CoA moiety produced by the branched-chain [[Fatty acid synthesis|fatty acid pathway]].<ref name="Leete, E. 1968">{{cite journal | vauthors = Leete E, Louden MC | title = Biosynthesis of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in Capsicum frutescens | journal = Journal of the American Chemical Society | volume = 90 | issue = 24 | pages = 6837–6841 | date = November 1968 | pmid = 5687710 | doi = 10.1021/ja01026a049 | bibcode = 1968JAChS..90.6837L }}</ref><ref name="Bennett, D.J. 1968">{{cite journal | vauthors = Bennett DJ, Kirby GW | year = 1968 | title = Constitution and biosynthesis of capsaicin | journal = J. Chem. Soc. C | volume = 1968 | pages = 442–446 | doi = 10.1039/j39680000442 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Fujiwake H, Suzuki T, Oka S, Iwai K | year = 1980 | title = Enzymatic formation of capsaicinoid from vanillylamine and iso-type fatty acids by cell-free extracts of ''Capsicum annuum'' var. ''annuum'' cv. Karayatsubusa | journal = Agricultural and Biological Chemistry | volume = 44 | issue = 12| pages = 2907–2912 | doi=10.1271/bbb1961.44.2907| doi-access = free | title-link=doi }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Guzman I, Bosland PW, O'Connell MA | chapter = Chapter 8: Heat, Color, and Flavor Compounds in ''Capsicum'' Fruit | veditors = Gang DR | title = Recent Advances in Phytochemistry 41: The Biological Activity of Phytochemicals | location = New York, New York | publisher =  Springer | date = 2011 | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=--nQIHiE3QwC&pg=PA117 | pages = 117–118 | isbn = 9781441972996 }}</ref>

Capsaicin is the most abundant capsaicinoid found in the genus ''[[Capsicum]]'', but at least ten other capsaicinoid variants exist.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Kozukue N, Han JS, Kozukue E, Lee SJ, Kim JA, Lee KR, Levin CE, Friedman M | title = Analysis of eight capsaicinoids in peppers and pepper-containing foods by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry | journal = Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry | volume = 53 | issue = 23 | pages = 9172–9181 | date = November 2005 | pmid = 16277419 | doi = 10.1021/jf050469j }}</ref> Phenylalanine supplies the precursor to the [[phenylpropanoid pathway]] while leucine or valine provide the precursor for the branched-chain fatty acid pathway.<ref name="Leete, E. 1968"/><ref name="Bennett, D.J. 1968"/> To produce capsaicin, 8-methyl-6-nonenoyl-CoA is produced by the branched-chain fatty acid pathway and condensed with vanillylamine. Other capsaicinoids are produced by the condensation of vanillylamine with various acyl-CoA products from the branched-chain fatty acid pathway, which is capable of producing a variety of acyl-CoA moieties of different chain length and degrees of unsaturation.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Thiele R, Mueller-Seitz E, Petz M | title = Chili pepper fruits: presumed precursors of fatty acids characteristic for capsaicinoids | journal = Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry | volume = 56 | issue = 11 | pages = 4219–4224 | date = June 2008 | pmid = 18489121 | doi = 10.1021/jf073420h | bibcode = 2008JAFC...56.4219T }}</ref> All condensation reactions between the products of the phenylpropanoid and branched-chain fatty acid pathway are mediated by capsaicin synthase to produce the final capsaicinoid product.<ref name="Leete, E. 1968"/><ref name="Bennett, D.J. 1968"/>