Monolignol radical–radical coupling networks in western red cedar and Arabidopsis and their evolutionary implications

• Published in: Phytochemistry (Oxford) 2002-10, Vol.61 (3), p.311-322
• Main Authors: Kim, Myoung K, Jeon, Jae-Heung, Davin, Laurence B, Lewis, Norman G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - growth & development; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Arabidopsis thaliana; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Evolution; Brassicaceae; Cloning, Molecular; Cupressaceae; Dirigent proteins; Evolution, Molecular; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes, Plant - genetics; Genes, Reporter - genetics; Genome walking; GUS reporter gene; Life Sciences (General); Lignans - chemistry; Lignans - metabolism; Metabolism; Metabolism. Physicochemical requirements; Molecular Structure; Monolignol radical–radical coupling networks; Multigene Family - genetics; Plant physiology and development; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Space life sciences; Thale cress; Thuja - genetics; Thuja - growth & development; Thuja - metabolism; Thuja plicata; Western red cedar
• ISSN: 0031-9422; 1873-3700
• DOI: 10.1016/S0031-9422(02)00261-3

The discovery of a nine-member multigene dirigent family involved in control of monolignol radical–radical coupling in the ancient gymnosperm, western red cedar, suggested that a complex multidimensional network had evolved to regulate such processes in vascular plants. Accordingly, in this study, the corresponding promoter regions for each dirigent multigene member were obtained by genome-walking, with Arabidopsis being subsequently transformed to express each promoter fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. It was found that each component gene of the proposed network is apparently differentially expressed in individual tissues, organs and cells at all stages of plant growth and development. The data so obtained thus further support the hypothesis that a sophisticated monolignol radical–radical coupling network exists in plants which has been highly conserved throughout vascular plant evolution. Evidence for monolignol radical–radical coupling networks in the different tissues and organs of Arabidopsis during plant growth and development is described.