title: Metabolic interaction between anthocyanin and lignin biosynthesis is associated with peroxidase FaPRX27 in strawberry fruit.
abstract: Plant phenolics have drawn increasing attention due to their potential nutritional benefits. Although the basic reactions of the phenolics biosynthetic pathways in plants have been intensively analyzed, the regulation of their accumulation and flux through the pathway is not that well established. The aim of this study was to use a strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) microarray to investigate gene expression patterns associated with the accumulation of phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins in strawberry fruit. An examination of the transcriptome, coupled with metabolite profiling data from different commercial varieties, was undertaken to identify genes whose expression correlated with altered phenolics composition. Seventeen comparative microarray analyses revealed 15 genes that were differentially (more than 200-fold) expressed in phenolics-rich versus phenolics-poor varieties. The results were validated by heterologous expression of the peroxidase FaPRX27 gene, which showed the highest altered expression level (more than 900-fold). The encoded protein was functionally characterized and is assumed to be involved in lignin formation during strawberry fruit ripening. Quantitative trait locus analysis indicated that the genomic region of FaPRX27 is associated with the fruit color trait. Down-regulation of the CHALCONE SYNTHASE gene and concomitant induction of FaPRX27 expression diverted the flux from anthocyanins to lignin. The results highlight the competition of the different phenolics pathways for their common precursors. The list of the 15 candidates provides new genes that are likely to impact polyphenol accumulation in strawberry fruit and could be used to develop molecular markers to select phenolics-rich germplasm.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology of Natural Products, Technische Universität München, 85354 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: Su-Ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hücherig
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blanco-Portales
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fouche
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Villatoro
authors.forename: Béatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Denoyes
authors.forename: Amparo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monfort
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Blanco
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gershenson
authors.forename: Wilfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwab
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways; D003116:Color; D015536:Down-Regulation; D031985:Fragaria / Q000201:enzymology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000201:enzymology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008031:Lignin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D008031:Lignin; D009195:Peroxidase; D000217:Acyltransferases; C020141:flavanone synthetase