Express Yourself: Analysis of the mRNA Expression Patterns of the AROGENATE DEHYDRATASE Family in Arabidopsis thaliana
Abstract
Phenylalanine (Phe) is an essential aromatic amino acid synthesized by plants and the final reaction in its biosynthesis is catalyzed by AROGENATE DEHYDRATASEs (ADTs). In Arabidopsis thaliana, six isoforms (AtADT1-ADT6) are capable of performing this reaction. To analyze the expression patterns of each AtADT, in silico data were used to describe AtADT mRNA expression during development in A. thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum (tomato). Eight stable A. thaliana transgenic lines with ADT promoter-eGFP/GUS reporter constructs were also tested and analyzed under standard conditions during development. This showed that AtADTs are differentially regulated through their promoters, which results in the variation of their expression. ADT expression patterns were described and putative roles in channeling carbon to different Phe-derived metabolites were proposed for each ADT, associating expression data in plant organs with different Phe-derived metabolites. This thesis is a valuable information resource and foundation for future high-resolution studies of ADT expression.