小麦R2R3-MYB转录因子TaMYB3-4D的克隆及功能分析

MYB转录因子是植物最大的转录因子家族之一,广泛参与植物各种生理生化过程。该研究通过对小麦基因组测序数据库进行同源搜索,利用电子克隆技术从紫色籽粒小麦品种‘高原115’中分离得到了一个新的MYB基因TaMYB3-4 D。结果表明,TaMYB3-4D仅含有一个内含子,其编码蛋白含有2个连续的MYB结构域,为典型的R2R3-MYB蛋白。TaMYB3-4D系统发生关系上与调控花青素合成的MYB基因亲缘关系较近。TaMYB3-4 D与bHLH基因ZmR瞬时表达能够诱导白色胚芽鞘中花青素的合成。此外,TaMYB3-4 D基因仅在‘高原115’含花青素的种皮和胚芽鞘中表达,在根、茎、叶中均未表达。研究表明,TaMYB3-4 D基因是一个具有调控花青素合成代谢功能的R2R3-MYB基因,很有可能参与小麦花青素的生物合成。     

TRANSPARENT TESTA1 interacts with R2R3-MYB factors and affects early and late steps of flavonoid biosynthesis in the endothelium of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds

Wild type seed coats of Arabidopsis thaliana are brown due to the accumulation of proanthocyanidin pigments (PAs). The pigmentation requires activation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis genes and mutations in some of these genes cause a yellow appearance of seeds, termed transparent testa (tt) phenotype. The TT1 gene encodes a WIP‐type zinc finger protein and is expressed in the seed coat endothelium where most of the PAs accumulate in wild type plants. In this study we show that TT1 is not only required for correct expression of PA‐specific genes in the seed coat, but also affects CHS, encoding the first enzyme of flavonoid biosynthesis. Many steps of this pathway are controlled by complexes of MYB and BHLH proteins with the WD40 factor TTG1. We demonstrate that TT1 can interact with the R2R3 MYB protein TT2 and that ectopic expression of TT2 can partially restore the lack in PA production in tt1. Reduced seed coat pigmentation was obtained using a TT1 variant lacking nuclear localisation signals. Based on our results we propose that the TT2/TT8/TTG1 regulon may also comprise early genes like CHS and discuss steps to further unravel the regulatory network controlling flavonoid accumulation in endothelium cells during A. thaliana seed development.