Purpose and Diversity

of Flavonoids in Plants
Jen Taylor
BioInformatics
1 May 2003

Phenolics

Group of secondary plant products or compounds

Composed of a hydroxyl group attached to an
aromatic ring
A broad range of compounds - found in all
components of plants: leaves, flowers, fruit etc
Function of most compounds is unknown
Comprised of many groups: Flavonoids, Tannins,
Lignin etc. All very chemically diverse!

Flavonoids

Water soluble pigment

Most widely studied group of phenolics: over
3000 described
Seem to have major health
benefits for humans - red
wine and cholesterol
Variety of important functions
in plants

Flavonoid Functions

Combine to create flower pigmentation: serve

as signals for pollinators

Block UV radiation destructive to nucleic

acids

Allow selective admittance of Blue-Green and

Red light for Photosynthesis

Flavonoid Functions Cont.

Reduces the palatability of plants or causes

herbivores to avoid the plants altogether
Affects interaction of plants with other organisms:
Inhibit or encourages bacteria and mychorizzae
associations
Have anti-oxidative effects, antimicrobial anticarcinogenic and cardio-protective

Various classes of Flavoniods: Anthocyanins,

Flavonols, Flavones, IsoFlavones

Anthocyanins

Range in color from Red through Purple and Blue

Main constituents of plant flower color
Important in attracting pollinators and dispersers
Mutualistic relationships!

Flavonols and Flavones

Mostly colorless pigments in the leaves of

plants
Control light admittance to leaves:
photosynthesis and UV protection
Cause of leaf color change in the Fall:
As Chlorophyll breaks down - large
quantities of flavonols are converted to
anthocyanins!

IsoFlavones

Found mostly in Legumes (Fabaceae)

Allelopathy herbivory defense, pathogen
defense!

Flavonoid Biosynthesis

Constructedfromtheproductsoftwodifferentpathways
AndcatalyzedbyCHALCONESYNTHASE

Chalcone Synthase

Catalyzer of all Flavonoids

Collected mRNA sequences of all GCG plants
Lilliaceae, Fabaceae, Pinaceae, Cannabaceae,
Rosaceae, Pteridophytes
Many programs were used to see the relation
of Chalcone Synthase genes between plant
species

mRNA Consensus
alliuma.seg acgatacatg cacgtaaacg aacaaatact gaaatccaat ccgaacatga
alliumb.seg caggaaacgc tacatgcacc tgtccgaaga catcctaaac gaaaacccaa
arachis.seg gagatatatg tacttaacgg aggagatctt gaaagaaaac ccaaacatgt
cannabis.seg acgttacatg catttaactg aggagattct caaagaaaat ccaaatcttt
equisetum.seg GAAGTCCGGG ATTAAGAAGC GGTACATGCA CTTGAACAGT GAAATTCTGA
gerbera.seg GGGACTCTCA AAATCCAAGA TCACACACCT CATCTTTTGC ACCACCGCTG
glycine.seg gagatatatg tacctaaacg aagagatctt gaaagagaat ccaaacatgt
humulus.seg GCGTTACATG CACTTAACTG AGGAGATCCT TAAGGAGAAT CCAAATCTTT
hypericum.seg acgttacatg tacctgaacg aggagattct gaaggagaac cccaatatgt
malus.seg acgttatatg tacttgactg aagaaatttt aaaagagaac ccaagtgtgt
msatvia.seg CTGAAGTCAC TGCAGTTACA TTTCGCGGCC CTAGTGATAC TCACTTGGAC
pinus1.seg atccgcaata aaaaagagat atatgtactt gacagaggag atcctccagg
pinus2.seg atccgcaata aaaaagagat atatgtactt gacagaggag atccttcagg
psilotum.seg CATGCATCTT ACTCCAGAAA TCCTGGAAGC TAATCCTGCC ATGTGCGCCT
rubus11.seg gcgttacatg tacttaactg aagaaatcct gaaggagaat cctagtatgt
rubus5.seg gcgttacatg tacttgacgg aagaaatcct gaaggagaat cctagtatgt
rubus6.seg gcgttacatg tacttgacgg aagaaatcct gaaggagaat cctagtatgt
senna2.seg gcgatacatg catttaaccg aagatcttct aaaggagaat cctaatatgt
senna3.seg aagatacatg catttgacag aagagatcct aaaggagaac cctaacatgt
senns1.seg gagatacatg cacttgacag aggagatcct caaggagaac cctaacatgt
sorghum.seg gatgattagg aagcgttaca tgcatttgac tgaggacatc ctagaggaga
Consensus --G--A-ATG -A----A--- A--A--T--T -AA-GA-AA- -C-A------

Protein Consensus
pileup_108.msf{translate_105} QDIVVVEVPK LGKSAAQSAI KEWGRPKAHI THLIFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_106} QDIVVVEIPK LGKSAAQAAI KEWGRPKSHI THLIFCTTSG GDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_96} QDMVVVEVPR LGKEAAAKAI KEWGQPKSKI THVIFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_97} QDMVVVEVPR LGKEAAAKAI KEWGQPKSKI THVIFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_89} QDMVVVEVPK LGKEAATKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLIVCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_89-2} QDMVVVEVPK LGKEAATKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLIVCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_87} QDIVVLEVPK LGKEAATKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLIFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_88} QDIVVLEVPK LGKEAATKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLIFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_101} QDMVVVEVPK LGKEAAVKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLIFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_104} QDMVVVEVPR LGKEAATKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLIFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_103} QDMVVVEVPK LGKEAATKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLVFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_100} QDMVVVEVPK LGKEAATKAI KEWGQPKSEI THVVFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_93} QDMVVVEIPK LGKEAATKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLVFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_94} QDMVVVEIPK LGKEAATKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLVFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_90} QDMVVVEIPK LGKEAATKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLVFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_99} QDMVVVEVPK LGKEAAIKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLVFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_98} QDIVVVEVPK LGKEAAVRAI KEWGQPKSKI THLVFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL
pileup_108.msf{translate_102} QDIAVVEVPK LGKEASLKAI KEWGQPKSKI THLVFCTTSG VDMPGADWAL
pileup_108.msf{translate_95} QDIVVIEVPK LGKEAAVKAI KEWGQPRTKI THLVFCTTSG VDMPGADWTL
Consensus QD-VVVEVPK LGKEAA-KAI KEWGQPKSKI THLIFCTTSG VDMPGADYQL

Phylogenetic Tree
SENNA2

SENNS1

SENNA3

Fabaceae=Blue

MALUS

RUBUS6

Rosaceae=Red

RUBUS5

RUBUS11

HUMULUS

CANNABIS

PSILOTUM

Cannabaceae=Orange
Pteridophytes=Purple

EQUISETUM

PINUS2

Pinaceae=Green

PINUS1

MATTHIOLA

Lilliaceae=Yellow

ALLIUMB

ALLIUMA

GLYCINE

ARACHIS

Localization Potential by Family

Fabaceae (one branch), Cannabaceae,

Lilliaceae, Pinaceae = 45% cytoplasm
Rosaceae = 60% cytoplasm
Fabaceae (other branch) and Pteridophytes =
34% mitochondrial matrix
Relation to Phylogenetic Tree?

Conclusion

Flavonoids serve a variety of important

functions in all plants
Chalcone synthase exists in a variety of plant
species
Gene sequence and protein location may be
indicators of flavonoid function in plants!