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Leucocyanidin reductase activity and accumulation of proanthocyanidins in developing legume tissues
Author(s) -
Skadhauge Birgitte,
Gruber Margaret Y.,
Thomsen Karl Kristian,
Wettstein Diter
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.2307/2446026
Subject(s) - biology , proanthocyanidin , petal , lotus japonicus , botany , anthocyanin , lotus , legume , lotus corniculatus , medicago sativa , parenchyma , robinia , biochemistry , polyphenol , gene , mutant , antioxidant
Proanthocyanidin (PA) and anthocyanin accumulation and location in developing leaves, flowers, and seeds of the legumes Medicago sativa, Lotus japonicus, Lotus uliginosus, Hedysarum sulfurescens, and Robinia pseudacacia were investigated by quantitative measurements and by histological analysis after staining with 1% vanillin/HCl, butanol/HCl, or 50% HCl. M. sativa leaves and flowers, L. japonicus leaves, and R. pseudacacia flowers do not contain PAs, but seeds of all investigated species contain PAs. Anthocyanins are absent in the seed coats of all five species and in leaves of L. japonicus. PA content generally increases as a function of development in leaves, but declines in flowers. With the exception of H. sulfurescens, flower PAs are synthesized in the parenchyma cells of the standard petal, while anthocyanins are located in the neighboring epidermal cells. Leucocyanidin reductase (LCR) catalyzes the conversion of 2,3‐ trans ‐3,4‐ cis ‐leucocyanidin to (+)‐catechin and is the first enzyme in the PA‐specific pathway. LCR activity was only detected in PA‐containing tissues and generally declined during tissue development.