Jasmonate induces biosynthesis of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin in apple by mediating the JAZ1–TRB1–MYB9 complex

Jasmonate (JA) induces the biosynthesis of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin. MdMYB9 is essential for modulating the accumulation of both anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin in apple, but the molecular mechanism for induction of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis by JA is unclear. In this study, we discovered an apple telomere-binding protein (MdTRB1) to be the interacting protein of MdMYB9. A series of biological assays showed that MdTRB1 acted as a positive modulator of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin accumulation, and is dependent on MdMYB9. MdTRB1 interacted with MdMYB9 and enhanced the activation activity of MdMYB9 to its downstream genes. In addition, we found that the JA signaling repressor MdJAZ1 interacted with MdTRB1 and interfered with the interaction between MdTRB1 and MdMYB9, therefore negatively modulating MdTRB1-promoted biosynthesis of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin. These results show that the JAZ1–TRB1–MYB9 module dynamically modulates JA-mediated accumulation of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin. Taken together, our data further expand the functional study of TRB1 and provide insights for further studies of the modulation of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis by JA.     

Major Water-Soluble Polyphenols,Proanthocyanidins, in Leaves of Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) and Their α-Amylase Inhibitory Activity

The amounts and compositions of polyphenol in persimmon leaves and persimmon leaf tea were investigated. The predominant polyphenols in fresh leaves were water-soluble, and the contents reached a maximum (2.40% w/w) in June, and then gradually decreased. Separation of them followed by thiolytic degradation revealed that the major components were unique proanthocyanidin oligomers consisting of four heterogeneous extension units, including epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate. Persimmon leaf tea also contained similar proanthocyanidins with similar compositional units. Oral administration of starch with polyphenol concentrate of persimmon leaf tea resulted in a significant and dose-dependent decrease in the blood glucose level in Wistar rats. This effect is considered to be due to inhibition of pancreas α-amylase. These results indicate that persimmon leaf tea containing peculiar proanthocyanidins has a significant role in suppressing blood glucose elevation after starch intake, and that the best harvest time is June.     

Effect of Vaccinium ashei reade Leaf Extracts on Lipid Metabolism in Obese OLETF Rats

The effects of a hot water extract and fractional extracts from rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei reade) leaves (BBL) on lipid metabolism were studied in obese Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats. Feeding the hot water extract and fractional extracts from BBL alleviated hepatic triglyceride accumulation in the rats. Additionally, feeding with the flavonol glycoside (FG) and proanthocyanidin (PA) fractions lowered serum cholesterol levels in the obese rats. The results from measurements of the hepatic enzyme activity indicate that the hypolipidemic effects of the hot water extract and the PA fraction might be attributable to enhanced lipolysis in the liver. The reduced serum levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory cytokine, by the chlorogenic acid + rutin fraction and FG fraction might be associated with alleviating the metabolic abnormalities in obese rats. These results indicate that the BBL extracts, and especially FG and PA, exerted hypolipidemic effects on obese OLETF rats and suggest that an infusion of BBL can be useful as a dietary hypolipidemic component.     

Analyses of Polyphenols in Cacao Liquor,Cocoa, and Chocolate by Normal-Phase and Reversed-Phase HPLC

The antioxidant polyphenols in cacao liquor, a major ingredient of chocolate and cocoa, have been characterized as flavan-3-ols and proanthocyanidin oligomers. In this study, various cacao products were analyzed by normal-phase HPLC, and the profiles and quantities of the polyphenols present, grouped by molecular size (monomers~oligomers), were compared. Individual cacao polyphenols, flavan-3-ols (catechin and epicatechin), and dimeric (procyanidin B2), trimeric (procyanidin C1), and tetrameric (cinnamtannin A2) proanthocyanidins, and galactopyranosyl-ent-(-)-epicatechin (2α→7, 4α→8)-(-)-epicatechin (Gal-EC-EC), were analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC and/or HPLC/MS. The profile of monomers (catechins) and proanthocyanidin in dark chocolate was similar to that of cacao liquor, while the ratio of flavan-3-ols to the total amount of monomeric and oligomeric polyphenols in the case of pure cocoa powder was higher than that in the case of cacao liquor or chocolate.     

Grape seed proanthocyanidin extracts prevent high glucose-induced endothelia dysfunction via PKC and NF-κB inhibition

In our study, it has been detected in vivo and in vitro that GSPE reversed high glucose-induced the increase of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. It is shown that by western blotting detection, GSPE significantly inhibited the activation of NF-κB induced by high glucose while there was significant decrease of the expression of PKC with GSPE intervention. By adding the NF-κB blocker PDTC and the PKC inhibitor peptide 19–31(10^?6 M), no significant difference was found in the levels of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 among GSPE group, the PKC inhibitor peptide 19–31-added GSPE group and the PDTC-added GSPE group. So the conclusion could be drawn that PKC inhibition must be involved in GSPE decreasing the level of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1.We proved for the first time that GSPE prevented high glucose-induced the increase of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 by PKC and NF-κB inhibition. These findings show a novel mechanism of the action GSPE preventing endothelial dysfunction, which may have clinical application values.     

苦荞R2R3-MYB转录因子调控原花青素生物合成的研究

基于苦荞花期转录组数据,该研究筛选并克隆获得一个黄酮代谢相关的MYB类转录因子,并命名为FtMYB23。该基因ORF框长879bp,编码292个氨基酸;系统进化树分析显示,FtMYB23与SG5-MYB亚家族成员聚为一簇,属于典型的R2R3-MYB型转录因子。β-半乳糖苷酶滤纸分析表明,其具有转录激活活性。FtMYB23过表达转基因拟南芥株系的表型分析表明,3个阳性株系的种皮颜色均呈现出比野生型更深的褐色,其叶中原花青素含量均极显著增加(P 0.01),分别为野生型的4.68、3.5和2.8倍。qRT-PCR分析表明,转基因拟南芥中黄酮合成相关的AtCHS、AtCHI、AtF3H、AtF3′H、AtFLS、AtDFR和AtBAN等基因的表达量显著升高(P 0.05),而AtTT12的表达量极显著降低(P 0.01)。研究认为,FtMYB23作为典型的Subgroup5-MYB(SG5-MYB)激活型转录因子,通过促进黄酮合成途径早期关键酶基因的表达,从而提高原花青素的合成与积累。     

Plant aging and excess light enhance flavan-3-ol content in Cistus clusii

Physiological studies on aging in perennials are mainly focused either on the primary metabolism or the hormonal regulation of the process. However, to our knowledge, the involvement of the secondary metabolism in this process has not yet been explored. Cistus clusii, a Mediterranean sclerophyllous evergreen bush, shows considerable amounts of flavan-3-ols in leaves. In the present study, we aimed at determining the impact of environmental conditions and plant aging in the flavan-3-ol content in C. clusii plants grown in field conditions, which included summer drought and recovery periods. Six-year-old plants suffered more from photo-oxidative stress, especially during excess light periods, and showed lower maximum photosynthetic rates than 1-year-old plants. C. clusii leaves accumulated (−)-epigallocatechin gallate in early summer, in a strong positive correlation with both the photon flux density and the photoperiod, but not with the plant water status. Moreover, C. clusii plants accumulated proanthocyanidins (polymeric flavan-3-ols) in leaves during summer. Older plants showed higher levels of proanthocyanidins and (−)-epicatechin, but only during late spring and summer. From the result of the present study, we conclude that excess light enhances flavan-3-ol content in C. clusii, a process enhanced as plants age due to increased excess light stress.     

Flavonoid compounds related to seed coat color of wheat

In red wheat, reddish-brown pigments accumulate in testa of mature seeds. Half-cut wheat seeds were immersed in p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (DMACA) reagent that stains flavanol structures blue. Testa of 10–40 days after flowering (DAF) in red wheat (“Norin 61” and “Satonosora”) seeds were stained blue and the reagent color changed to blue with 10–25 DAF seeds. No blue staining was observed in white wheat (“Tamaizumi”) seeds during maturation. “Norin 61” seed coats at 10 DAF contained dihydroquercetin, dihydromyricetin, (+)-catechin, procyanidin B3, and prodelphinidin B3, which were identified by HPLC-diode array detector and LC-MS/MS analyses. These five components began accumulating 7 DAF, reached maxima at 10 or 15 DAF, and then decreased in red wheat seeds, but were not detected in white wheat seeds. These results suggest that flavanol and proanthocyanidins are possible precursors of the reddish-brown pigments of red wheat seeds, and are converted to insoluble compounds as the seeds mature.     

The Arabidopsis TDS4 gene encodes leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase (LDOX) and is essential for proanthocyanidin synthesis and vacuole development

The anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin (PA) biosynthetic pathways share common intermediates until leucocyanidin, which may be used by leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase (LDOX) to produce anthocyanin, or the enzyme leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR) to produce catechin, a precursor of PA. The Arabidopsis mutant tannin deficient seed 4 (tds4-1) has a reduced PA level and altered pattern PA accumulation. We identified the TDS4 gene as LDOX by complementation of the tds4-1 mutation either with a cosmid encoding LDOX or a 35S:LDOX construct. Independent Arabidopsis lines with a T-DNA insertion in the LDOX gene had a similar phenotype, and one was allelic to tds4-1. The seed phenotype of ban tds4 double mutants showed that LDOX precedes BANYULS (BAN) in the PA pathway, confirming recent biochemical characterisation of BAN as an anthocyanidin reductase. Double mutant analysis was also used to order the other TDS genes. Analysis of the PA intermediates in tds4-1 revealed three dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (DMACA) reacting compounds that accumulated in extracts from developing seeds. Analysis of Arabidopsis PA and its precursors indicates that Arabidopsis, unlike many other plants, exclusively uses the epicatechin and not the catechin pathway to PA. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the pattern observed when seeds of tds4 were stained with DMACA was a result of the accumulation of PA intermediates in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells. Fluorescent marker dyes were used to show that tds4 endothelial cells had multiple small vacuoles, instead of a large central vacuole as observed in the wild types (WT). These results show that in addition to its established role in the formation of anthocyanin, LDOX is also part of the PA biosynthesis pathway.     

Qualitative analysis and HPLC isolation and identification of procyanidins from Vicia faba

The soluble proanthocyanidins of the coloured seed coats of Vicia faba L. were isolated and separated by solvent partition. The chemical characteristics of the proanthocyanidins were elucidated by total oxidation and partial degradation in the presence of phloroglucinol followed by HPLC analysis. The native extract of proanthocyanidins contained (+)-gallocatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin, (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin units. Oligomeric procyanidins were purified by chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 and the accessible compounds were isolated by RP-HPLC using a Licrospher Li 100 Column. The structures of the purified oligomeric procyanidins were elucidated using a procedure involving TLC, UV spectroscopy, ESI-MS and HPLC analysis of the products from the phloroglucinol reaction. The major condensed tannins of Vicia faba comprise six compounds identified as two A-type procyanidin dimers, the procyanidin dimers B1, B2 and B3, and a procyanidin trimer.