THE PLANT CELL, Vol 4, Issue 10 1229-1236, Copyright © 1992 by American Society of Plant Biologists

RESEARCH ARTICLES

Regulation of Flavonoid Biosynthetic Genes in Germinating Arabidopsis Seedlings

W. L. Kubasek, B. W. Shirley, A. McKillop, H. M. Goodman, W. Briggs and F. M. Ausubel
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114

Many higher plants, including Arabidopsis, transiently display purple anthocyanin pigments just after seed germination. We observed that steady state levels of mRNAs encoded by four flavonoid biosynthetic genes, PAL1 (encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase 1), CHS (encoding chalcone synthase), CHI (encoding chalcone isomerase), and DFR (encoding dihydroflavonol reductase), were temporally regulated, peaking in 3-day-old seedlings grown in continuous white light. Except for the case of PAL1 mRNA, mRNA levels for these flavonoid genes were very low in seedlings grown in darkness. Light induction studies using seedlings grown in darkness showed that PAL1 mRNA began to accumulate before CHS and CHI mRNAs, which, in turn, began to accumulate before DFR mRNA. This order of induction is the same as the order of the biosynthetic steps in flavonoid biosynthesis. Our results suggest that the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway is coordinately regulated by a developmental timing mechanism during germination. Blue light and UVB light induction experiments using red light- and dark-grown seedlings showed that the flavonoid biosynthetic genes are induced most effectively by UVB light and that blue light induction is mediated by a specific blue light receptor.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Rosenfeldt, R. M. Viana, H. D. Mootz, A. G. von Arnim, and A. Batschauer Chemically Induced and Light-Independent Cryptochrome Photoreceptor Activation Mol Plant, January 1, 2008; 1(1): 4 - 14. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y.-J. Yang, Z.-C. Zuo, X.-Y. Zhao, X. Li, J. Klejnot, Y. Li, P. Chen, S.-P. Liang, X.-H. Yu, X.-M. Liu, et al. Blue-Light-Independent Activity of Arabidopsis Cryptochromes in the Regulation of Steady-State Levels of Protein and mRNA Expression Mol Plant, January 1, 2008; 1(1): 167 - 177. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Zhou, Y. Li, Z. Xu, H. Yan, S. Homma, and S. Kawabata Ultraviolet A-specific induction of anthocyanin biosynthesis in the swollen hypocotyls of turnip (Brassica rapa) J. Exp. Bot., May 1, 2007; 58(7): 1771 - 1781. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Carrera, T. Holman, A. Medhurst, W. Peer, H. Schmuths, S. Footitt, F. L. Theodoulou, and M. J. Holdsworth Gene Expression Profiling Reveals Defined Functions of the ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter COMATOSE Late in Phase II of Germination Plant Physiology, April 1, 2007; 143(4): 1669 - 1679. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Besseau, L. Hoffmann, P. Geoffroy, C. Lapierre, B. Pollet, and M. Legrand Flavonoid Accumulation in Arabidopsis Repressed in Lignin Synthesis Affects Auxin Transport and Plant Growth PLANT CELL, January 1, 2007; 19(1): 148 - 162. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. S. Buer, P. Sukumar, and G. K. Muday Ethylene Modulates Flavonoid Accumulation and Gravitropic Responses in Roots of Arabidopsis Plant Physiology, April 1, 2006; 140(4): 1384 - 1396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Mehrtens, H. Kranz, P. Bednarek, and B. Weisshaar The Arabidopsis Transcription Factor MYB12 Is a Flavonol-Specific Regulator of Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis Plant Physiology, June 1, 2005; 138(2): 1083 - 1096. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Zhang, A. Gonzalez, M. Zhao, C. T. Payne, and A. Lloyd A network of redundant bHLH proteins functions in all TTG1-dependent pathways of Arabidopsis Development, October 15, 2003; 130(20): 4859 - 4869. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. K. Wade, A. K. Sohal, and G. I. Jenkins Arabidopsis ICX1 Is a Negative Regulator of Several Pathways Regulating Flavonoid Biosynthesis Genes Plant Physiology, February 1, 2003; 131(2): 707 - 715. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Lin Blue Light Receptors and Signal Transduction PLANT CELL, May 1, 2002; 14(90001): S207 - 225. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Sagasser, G.-H. Lu, K. Hahlbrock, and B. Weisshaar A. thaliana TRANSPARENT TESTA 1 is involved in seed coat development and defines the WIP subfamily of plant zinc finger proteins Genes & Dev., January 1, 2002; 16(1): 138 - 149. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Smalle, J. Kurepa, P. Yang, E. Babiychuk, S. Kushnir, A. Durski, and R. D. Vierstra Cytokinin Growth Responses in Arabidopsis Involve the 26S Proteasome Subunit RPN12 PLANT CELL, January 1, 2002; 14(1): 17 - 32. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. J. Budziszewski, S. P. Lewis, L. W. Glover, J. Reineke, G. Jones, L. S. Ziemnik, J. Lonowski, B. Nyfeler, G. Aux, Q. Zhou, et al. Arabidopsis Genes Essential for Seedling Viability: Isolation of Insertional Mutants and Molecular Cloning Genetics, December 1, 2001; 159(4): 1765 - 1778. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Nesi, C. Jond, I. Debeaujon, M. Caboche, and L. Lepiniec The Arabidopsis TT2 Gene Encodes an R2R3 MYB Domain Protein That Acts as a Key Determinant for Proanthocyanidin Accumulation in Developing Seed PLANT CELL, September 1, 2001; 13(9): 2099 - 2114. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. E. Brown, A. M. Rashotte, A. S. Murphy, J. Normanly, B. W. Tague, W. A. Peer, L. Taiz, and G. K. Muday Flavonoids Act as Negative Regulators of Auxin Transport in Vivo in Arabidopsis Plant Physiology, June 1, 2001; 126(2): 524 - 535. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Nesi, I. Debeaujon, C. Jond, G. Pelletier, M. Caboche, and L. Lepiniec The TT8 Gene Encodes a Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Domain Protein Required for Expression of DFR and BAN Genes in Arabidopsis Siliques PLANT CELL, October 1, 2000; 12(10): 1863 - 1878. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				I. E. Burbulis and B. Winkel-Shirley Interactions among enzymes of the Arabidopsis flavonoid biosynthetic pathway PNAS, October 26, 1999; 96(22): 12929 - 12934. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. L. Montgomery, K.-C. Yeh, M. W. Crepeau, and J. C. Lagarias Modification of Distinct Aspects of Photomorphogenesis via Targeted Expression of Mammalian Biliverdin Reductase in Transgenic Arabidopsis Plants Plant Physiology, October 1, 1999; 121(2): 629 - 640. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. Ruegger, K. Meyer, J. C. Cusumano, and C. Chapple Regulation of Ferulate-5-Hydroxylase Expression in Arabidopsis in the Context of Sinapate Ester Biosynthesis Plant Physiology, January 1, 1999; 119(1): 101 - 110. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				P. A. Bariola, G. C. MacIntosh, and P. J. Green Regulation of S-Like Ribonuclease Levels in Arabidopsis. Antisense Inhibition of RNS1 or RNS2 Elevates Anthocyanin Accumulation Plant Physiology, January 1, 1999; 119(1): 331 - 342. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				J. C. Long and G. I. Jenkins Involvement of Plasma Membrane Redox Activity and Calcium Homeostasis in the UV-B and UV-A /Blue Light Induction of Gene Expression in Arabidopsis PLANT CELL, December 1, 1998; 10(12): 2077 - 2086. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				A. N. Polidoros and J. G. Scandalios Circadian Expression of the Maize Catalase Cat3 Gene Is Highly Conserved Among Diverse Maize Genotypes With Structurally Different Promoters Genetics, May 1, 1998; 149(1): 405 - 415. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Noh and E. P. Spalding Anion Channels and the Stimulation of Anthocyanin Accumulation by Blue Light in Arabidopsis Seedlings Plant Physiology, February 1, 1998; 116(2): 503 - 509. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C Bowler, H Yamagata, G Neuhaus, and N H Chua Phytochrome signal transduction pathways are regulated by reciprocal control mechanisms. Genes & Dev., September 15, 1994; 8(18): 2188 - 2202. [Abstract] [PDF]