Coumaroyl-coenzyme A is the thioester of coenzyme-A and coumaric acid. Coumaroyl-coenzyme A is a central intermediate in the biosynthesis of myriad natural products found in plants. These products include lignols (precursors to lignin and lignocellulose), flavonoids, isoflavonoids, coumarins, aurones, stilbenes, catechin, and other phenylpropanoids.^[1]

It is generated in nature from phenylalanine, which is converted by PAL to trans-cinnamate. Trans-cinnamate is hydroxylated by trans-cinnamate 4-monooxygenase to give 4-hydroxycinnamate (i.e, coumarate). Coumarate is condensed with coenzyme-A in the presence of 4-coumarate-CoA ligase:

ATP + 4-coumarate + CoA AMP + diphosphate + 4-coumaroyl-CoA.

• Anthocyanin 3-O-glucoside 6''-O-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase
• Anthocyanin 5-aromatic acyltransferase
• Chalcone synthase
• 4-Coumarate-CoA ligase
• 6'-Deoxychalcone synthase
• Agmatine N4-coumaroyltransferase
• Flavonol-3-O-triglucoside O-coumaroyltransferase
• Naringenin-chalcone synthase
• Shikimate O-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase
• Trihydroxystilbene synthase