Abstract
During the biosynthesis of anthocyanins in Petunia hybrida, the 3-hydroxyl group is glucosylated. Their supposed biosynthetic precursors, the dihydroflavonols, are glucosylated at the 7 or 4′ positions. The question arose of whether these glucosides or the aglucones act as a substrate in anthocyanin synthesis. Using isolated flower buds of white flowering mutants that were blocked in an earlier step of biosynthesis, it was found that anthocyanin-3-glucosides and dihydroquercetin-7-glucoside were synthesized if dihydroquercetin, dihydroquercetin-7-glucoside, or dihydroquercetin-4′-glucoside were used as precursors in these experiments. Intracellular dihydroquercetin-glucosides were not used as a substrate for anthocyanin synthesis. The results are explained by deglucosylation of dihydroquercetin-glucosides during uptake by isolated flower limbs. Dihydroquercetin-7-glucoside, formed intracellularly, is not available as a precursor for anthocyanins. We conclude that the aglucone form of dihydroquercetin acts as a substrate in anthocyanin biosynthesis.
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Abbreviations
- dHO:
-
dihydroquercetin
- dHQ-7=g:
-
dihydroquercetin-7-glucoside
- dHQ-4′-g:
-
dihydroquercetin-4′-glucoside
References
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Schram, A.W., Timmerman, A.W., de Vlaming, P. et al. Glucosylation of flavonoids in petals of Petunia hybrida . Planta 153, 459–461 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394986
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394986