Antisense and chemical suppression of the nonmevalonate pathway affects ent-kaurene biosynthesis in Arabidopsis

Planta. 2002 Jun;215(2):339-44. doi: 10.1007/s00425-002-0762-0. Epub 2002 Apr 12.

Abstract

Transgenic plants of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. (ecotype Columbia) expressing the antisense AtMECT gene, encoding 2- C-methyl- D-erythritol 4-phosphate cytidylyltransferase, were generated to elucidate the physiological role of the nonmevalonate pathway for production of ent-kaurene, the latter being the plastidic precursor of gibberellins. In transformed plants pigmentation and accumulation of ent-kaurene were reduced compared to wild-type plants. Fosmidomycin, an inhibitor of 1-deoxy- D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), caused a similar depletion of these compounds in transgenic plants. These observations suggest that both AtMECT and DXR are important in the synthesis of isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate and that ent-kaurene is mainly produced through the nonmevalonate pathway in the plastid.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aldose-Ketose Isomerases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Arabidopsis / drug effects
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism
  • Carotenoids / biosynthesis
  • Chlorophyll / biosynthesis
  • Chlorophyll A
  • Chloroplasts / metabolism
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Antisense / genetics
  • Diterpenes / metabolism*
  • Diterpenes, Kaurane*
  • Fosfomycin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Fosfomycin / pharmacology
  • Hemiterpenes*
  • Mevalonic Acid / chemistry
  • Mevalonic Acid / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multienzyme Complexes / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / genetics*
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / metabolism
  • Organophosphorus Compounds / metabolism
  • Oxidoreductases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Phenotype
  • Pigments, Biological / biosynthesis
  • Plants, Genetically Modified

Substances

  • DNA, Antisense
  • Diterpenes
  • Diterpenes, Kaurane
  • Hemiterpenes
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • Organophosphorus Compounds
  • Pigments, Biological
  • Chlorophyll
  • Fosfomycin
  • kaurene
  • isopentenyl pyrophosphate
  • Carotenoids
  • chlorophyll b
  • fosmidomycin
  • Oxidoreductases
  • 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase
  • 2-C-methyl erythritol 4-phosphate cytidylyltransferase
  • Nucleotidyltransferases
  • Aldose-Ketose Isomerases
  • Mevalonic Acid
  • Chlorophyll A

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB037877