Comparative biochemical and immunological studies of the glycine betaine synthesis pathway in diverse families of dicotyledons

Members of the Chenopodiaceae can accumulate high levels (>100 μmol·(g DW)-1) of glycine betaine (betaine) in leaves when salinized. Chenopodiaceae synthesize betaine by a two-step oxidation of choline (choline→betaine aldehyde→ betaine), with the second step catalyzed by betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH, EC 1.2.1.8). High betaine levels have also been reported in leaves of species from several distantly-related families of dicotyledons, …