The flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in Arabidopsis: Structural and genetic diversity

• Published in: Plant physiology and biochemistry 2013-11, Vol.72, p.21-34
• Main Authors: Saito, Kazuki, Yonekura-Sakakibara, Keiko, Nakabayashi, Ryo, Higashi, Yasuhiro, Yamazaki, Mami, Tohge, Takayuki, Fernie, Alisdair R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acylation; anthocyanins; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Arabidopsis thaliana; Biological and medical sciences; Biosynthesis; cyanidin; enzymes; epicatechin; Flavonoid; Flavonols - metabolism; Functional genomics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genes; genetic variation; Genetic Variation - genetics; Genomics; glycosylation; isorhamnetin; kaempferol; metabolomics; methylation; Plant physiology and development; proanthocyanidins; quercetin; transcriptomics; vacuoles
• ISSN: 0981-9428; 1873-2690
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2013.02.001

Flavonoids are representative plant secondary products. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, at least 54 flavonoid molecules (35 flavonols, 11 anthocyanins and 8 proanthocyanidins) are found. Scaffold structures of flavonoids in Arabidopsis are relatively simple. These include kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin for flavonols, cyanidin for anthocyanins and epicatechin for proanthocyanidins. The chemical diversity of flavonoids increases enormously by tailoring reactions which modify these scaffolds, including glycosylation, methylation and acylation. Genes responsible for the formation of flavonoid aglycone structures and their subsequent modification reactions have been extensively characterized by functional genomic efforts – mostly the integration of transcriptomics and metabolic profiling followed by reverse genetic experimentation. This review describes the state-of-art of flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in Arabidopsis regarding both structural and genetic diversity, focusing on the genes encoding enzymes for the biosynthetic reactions and vacuole translocation. ► In Arabidopsis thaliana, at least 54 flavonoid molecules are found. ► Scaffold structures include kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin. ► The chemical diversity of flavonoids increases by tailoring reactions. ► Genes for flavonoid biosynthesis were extensively characterized by functional genomic efforts. ► Structural and genetic diversity of flavonoids in Arabidopsis are discussed.