Leucocyanidin reductase activity and accumulation of proanthocyanidins in developing legume tissues

• Published in: American journal of botany 1997-04, Vol.84 (4), p.494-503
• Main Authors: Skadhauge, B. (Carlsberg Laboratory, Valby, Copenhagen, Denmark.), Gruber, M.Y, Thomsen, K.K, Wettstein, D. von
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ACTIVIDAD ENZIMATICA; ACTIVITE ENZYMATIQUE; Alfalfa; ANALISIS CUANTITATIVO; ANALYSE QUANTITATIVE; ANATOMIA DE LA PLANTA; ANATOMIE VEGETALE; ANTHOCYANIDINE; ANTHOCYANIDINS; anthocyanins; ANTOCIANIDINAS; BIOCHEMICAL PATHWAYS; Biochemistry; CALICE; CALIZ; CALYX; Cells; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION; CHEMISTRY; CHIMIE; Color; COMPOSICION QUIMICA; COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE; COROLA; COROLLA; COROLLE; Enzymes; ENZYMIC ACTIVITY; EPIDERME; EPIDERMIS; ETAPAS DE DESARROLLO DE LA PLANTA; FEUILLE; FLAVONOIDE; FLAVONOIDES; FLAVONOIDS; FLEUR; FLORES; FLOWERS; Flowers & plants; FRUIT; FRUTO; GRAINE; HEDYSARUM; HEDYSARUM SULFURESCENS; HISTOCHEMISTRY; HOJAS; LEAVES; Legumes; Leguminosae; leucocyanidin reductase; LOTUS; LOTUS JAPONICUS; LOTUS ULIGINOSUS; MEDICAGO SATIVA; OXIDOREDUCTASES; OXIDORREDUCTASAS; OXYDOREDUCTASE; PARENCHYMA; PARENCHYME; PARENQUIMA; Petals; Physiology, Development, and Biochemistry; Pigments; PLANT ANATOMY; PLANT DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES; Plants; PODS; proanthocyanidins; QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS; QUIMICA; Robinia pseudacacia; SEEDS; SEMILLA; STADE DE DEVELOPPEMENT VEGETAL; TESTA; VIA BIOQUIMICA DEL METABOLISMO; VOIE BIOCHIMIQUE DU METABOLISME
• ISSN: 0002-9122; 1537-2197
• DOI: 10.2307/2446026

Proanthocyanidin (PA) and anthocyanin accumulation and location in developing leaves, flowers, and seeds of the legumes Medicago sativa, Lotus japonicus, Lotus uliginosus, Hedysarum sulfurescens, and Robinia pseudacacia were investigated by quantitative measurements and by histological analysis after staining with 1% vanillin/HCl, butanol/HCl, or 50% HCl. M. sativa leaves and flowers, L. japonicus leaves, and R. pseudacacia flowers do not contain PAs, but seeds of all investigated species contain PAs. Anthocyanins are absent in the seed coats of all five species and in leaves of L. japonicus. PA content generally increases as a function of development in leaves, but declines in flowers. With the exception of H. sulfurescens, flower PAs are synthesized in the parenchyma cells of the standard petal, while anthocyanins are located in the neighboring epidermal cells. Leucocyanidin reductase (LCR) catalyzes the conversion of 2,3-trans-3,4-cis-leucocyanidin to (+)-catechin and is the first enzyme in the PA-specific pathway. LCR activity was only detected in PA-containing tissues and generally declined during tissue development