Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) proteins might be involved in flavonoid transportation. However, whether MATE proteins are involved in anthocyanin accumulation in Lilium is unclear. Here, a flavonoid transport-related MATE candidate gene, LhDTX35, was cloned from the Asiatic hybrid lily cultivar ‘Tiny Padhye’ by rapid amplification of 5’ and 3’ cDNA ends (RACE) and found to encode 507 amino acids. BLASTx results indicated that LhDTX35 showed high homology to the DTX35 genes of other species. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that the protein encoded by LhDTX35 possessed 12 typical transmembrane segments and had functional domains typical of the MATE-like superfamily. Phylogenetic analysis grouped LhDTX35 in the same clade as the DTX35 of other species. Notably, the expression pattern of LhDTX35 was positively correlated with floral anthocyanin accumulation in ‘Tiny Padhye’. A subcellular localization assay showed that the protein encoded by LhDTX35 was plasmalemma localized but not nuclear, indicating that the LhDTX35 gene may function as a carrier protein to transport anthocyanins in Lilium. Functional complementation of the Arabidopsis DTX35 gene demonstrated that LhDTX35 could restore silique-infertility and the anthocyaninless phenotype of an Arabidopsis DTX35 mutant. These results indicated that LhDTX35 might be involved in anthocyanin accumulation in Lilium.
Highlights
Lilies (Lilium spp.) have high commercial and ornamental value due to their various floral colors and coloration patterns
We first identified a flavonoid transport-related multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) candidate gene based on transcriptome data in Lilium ‘Tiny Padhye’ and found that this gene shared high similarity with published DTX35 genes
Bioinformatics and phylogenetic analysis revealed that LhDTX35 belongs to the MATE gene family
Summary
Lilies (Lilium spp.) have high commercial and ornamental value due to their various floral colors and coloration patterns. Anthocyanins are one of the major pigments affecting the coloration of the floral tepals in Lilium spp. Anthocyanins are synthesized in the cytosol but their transfer to the vacuole is necessary for plant tissues to exhibit brilliant colors [5,6]. The mechanism of anthocyanin transfer is still unclear, anthocyanin biosynthesis at the molecular level has been studied extensively leading to the discovery of enzyme-coding structural and regulatory genes related to anthocyanin biosynthesis [7,8]. MATE transporters perform various transport functions in plants, including the transportation of anthocyanin [12]. A MATE transporter related to flavonoid accumulation was isolated for the first time during screening of a TT12 Arabidopsis mutant with altered seed coloration [13].
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