Polyphenol composition in the ripe fruits of Fragaria species and transcriptional analyses of key genes in the pathway.
Polyphenolics are important secondary metabolites in strawberry as they fulfill a wide variety of physiological functions and are beneficial to human health. Seventeen structurally well-defined phenolic compounds including phenylpropanoids, flavonols, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins were individually analyzed by LC-MS in the ripe fruits of two cultivars of the commercial strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch., Rosaceae) as well as in accessions of F. vesca, F. moschata, and F. chiloensis. Metabolic analysis revealed that the majority of the compounds analyzed accumulated in a genotype-dependent manner. Transcriptional studies of genes encoding for enzymes of the biosynthetic pathway such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase, chalcone synthase, and flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase could partially explain the different levels of polyphenolics observed in the Fragaria species. The results can provide a sound basis for selecting markers for the development of cultivars with high phenolic content, which can be of value for the food industry.
Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea, Universidad de Málaga-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n, E-29071 Málaga, Spain.
Cristina
C
Muñoz
José F
JF
Sánchez-Sevilla
Miguel A
MA
Botella
Thomas
T
Hoffmann
Wilfried
W
Schwab
Victoriano
V
Valpuesta
D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics*; D031985:Fragaria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005838:Genotype; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
D005419:Flavonoids; D059808:Polyphenols; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018749:RNA, Plant