Expression of parsley flavone synthase I establishes the flavone biosynthetic pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Arabidopsis thaliana lacks the flavone biosynthetic pathway, probably because of a lack or low activity of a flavone synthase. To establish this biosynthetic pathway in Arabidopsis, we subjected this model plant to transformation with the parsley gene for flavone synthase type I (FNS-I). Transgenic seedlings expressing FNS-I were cultured in liquid medium with or without naringenin, and plant extracts were then analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. In contrast to wild-type seedlings, the transgenic seedlings accumulated substantial amounts of apigenin, which is produced from naringenin by FNS-I, and the apigenin level correlated with the abundance of FNS-I mRNA in three different transgenic lines. These results indicate that the FNS-I transgene produces a functional enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of naringenin to apigenin in Arabidopsis. These FNS-I transgenic lines should prove useful in investigating the in vivo functions of enzymes that mediate the synthesis of the wide variety of flavones found in other plants.
Yun
Choong-Soo
CS
Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Venture Business Laboratory, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan.
Yamamoto
Tomio
T
Nozawa
Akira
A
Tozawa
Yuzuru
Y
D047310:Apigenin / Q000378:metabolism; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D044950:Flavanones / Q000378:metabolism; D047309:Flavones; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D028528:Petroselinum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified
D044950:Flavanones; D047309:Flavones; D005419:Flavonoids; D047310:Apigenin; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; C065998:flavone synthase I; C005273:naringenin; C043562:flavone