title: The MYB182 protein down-regulates proanthocyanidin and anthocyanin biosynthesis in poplar by repressing both structural and regulatory flavonoid genes.
abstract: Trees in the genus Populus (poplar) contain phenolic secondary metabolites including the proanthocyanidins (PAs), which help to adapt these widespread trees to diverse environments. The transcriptional activation of PA biosynthesis in response to herbivory and ultraviolet light stress has been documented in poplar leaves, and a regulator of this process, the R2R3-MYB transcription factor MYB134, has been identified. MYB134-overexpressing transgenic plants show a strong high-PA phenotype. Analysis of these transgenic plants suggested the involvement of additional MYB transcription factors, including repressor-like MYB factors. Here, MYB182, a subgroup 4 MYB factor, was found to act as a negative regulator of the flavonoid pathway. Overexpression of MYB182 in hairy root culture and whole poplar plants led to reduced PA and anthocyanin levels as well as a reduction in the expression of key flavonoid genes. Similarly, a reduced accumulation of transcripts of a MYB PA activator and a basic helix-loop-helix cofactor was observed in MYB182-overexpressing hairy roots. Transient promoter activation assays in poplar cell culture demonstrated that MYB182 can disrupt transcriptional activation by MYB134 and that the basic helix-loop-helix-binding motif of MYB182 was essential for repression. Microarray analysis of transgenic plants demonstrated that down-regulated targets of MYB182 also include shikimate pathway genes. This work shows that MYB182 plays an important role in the fine-tuning of MYB134-mediated flavonoid metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Center for Forest Biology and Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Station CSC, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 3N5.
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Center for Forest Biology and Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Station CSC, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 3N5.
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Center for Forest Biology and Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Station CSC, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 3N5 cpc@uvic.ca.
authors.forename: C Peter
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Constabel
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D032107:Populus / Q000235:genetics*; D044945:Proanthocyanidins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D005419:Flavonoids; D010940:Plant Proteins; D044945:Proanthocyanidins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C013221:proanthocyanidin