title: Co-pigmentation and flavonoid glycosyltransferases in blue Veronica persica flowers.
abstract: Glycosylation is one of the key modification steps for plants to produce a broad spectrum of flavonoids with various structures and colors. A survey of flavonoids in the blue flowers of Veronica persica Poiret (Lamiales, Scrophulariaceae), which is native of Eurasia and now widespread worldwide, led to the identification of highly glycosylated flavonoids, namely delphinidin 3-O-(2-O-(6-O-p-coumaroyl-glucosyl)-6-O-p-coumaroyl-glucoside)-5-O-glucoside (1) and apigenin 7-O-(2-O-glucuronosyl)-glucuronide (2), as two of its main flavonoids. Interestingly, the latter flavone glucuronide (2) caused a bathochromic shift on the anthocyanin (1) toward a blue hue in a dose-dependent manner, showing an intermolecular co-pigment effect. In order to understand the molecular basis for the biosynthesis of this glucuronide, we isolated a cDNA encoding a UDP-dependent glycosyltransferase (UGT88D8), based on the structural similarity to flavonoid 7-O-glucuronosyltransferases (F7GAT) from Lamiales plants. Enzyme assays showed that the recombinant UGT88D8 protein catalyzes the 7-O-glucuronosylation of apigenin and its related flavonoids with preference to UDP-glucuronic acid as a sugar donor. Furthermore, we identified and functionally characterized a cDNA encoding another UGT, UGT94F1, as the anthocyanin 3-O-glucoside-2''-O-glucosyltransferase (A3Glc2''GlcT), according to the structural similarity to sugar-sugar glycosyltransferases classified to the cluster IV of flavonoid UGTs. Preferential expression of UGT88D8 and UGT94F1 genes in the petals supports the idea that these UGTs play an important role in the biosynthesis of key flavonoids responsible for the development of the blue color of V. persica flowers.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health Care Science, Suntory Ltd., Mishima, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiichiro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruike
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwashita
authors.forename: Kyosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nomoto
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukui
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D035264:Flowers / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D032264:Veronica / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D005419:Flavonoids; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D016695:Glycosyltransferases