%0 Journal Article
%T Expression analysis of flavonoid biosynthesis genes during Arabidopsis thaliana silique and seed development with a primary focus on the proanthocyanidin biosynthetic pathway
%A Christiane Kleindt
%A Ralf Stracke
%A Frank Mehrtens
%A Bernd Weisshaar
%J BMC Research Notes
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1756-0500-3-255
%X We describe the biological material and the preparation of total RNA for the AtGenExpress developmental silique and seed series. AtGenExpress ATH1 GeneChip expression data from the different stages were reanalyzed and verified using quantitative real time PCR (qPCR). We observed organ-specific transcript accumulation of specific flavonoid biosynthetic genes consistent with previously published data and our PA compound accumulation data. In addition, we investigated the regulation of PA accumulation in developing A. thaliana seeds by correlating gene expression patterns of specific flavonoid biosynthesis genes with different seed embryonic developmental stages and organs and present two useful marker genes for isolated valve and replum organs, as well as one seed-specific marker.Potential caveats of array-based expression data are discussed based on comparisons with qPCR data. Results from ATH1 microarray and qPCR experiments revealed a shift in gene activity from general flavonoid biosynthesis at early stages of seed development to PA synthesis at late (mature) stages of embryogenesis. The examined PA accumulation-associated genes, including biosynthetic and regulatory genes, were found to be exclusively expressed in immature seeds. Accumulation of PAs initiates at the early heart stage of silique and seed development. Our findings provide new insights for further studies targeting the PA pathway in seeds.Flavonoids are aromatic amino acid-derived secondary metabolites with a multitude of roles in plants. For example, they act as antimicrobial agents, light protection pigments, feeding deterrents against pathogens and herbivores [1] and are, among other pigments, crucial for flower coloration, attracting insects for pollination and seed dispersal [2]. Flavonoids are subdivided into several classes, with three major ones in Arabidopsis thaliana: flavonols, anthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins (PAs, condensed tannins) [reviewed in [3]]. Flavonols contribute to UV-prote
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1756-0500/3/255