Molecular characterization of flavonoid transport-related factors in flavonoid accumulating cells of Arabidopsis

Kitamura, Satoshi; Narumi, Issei

Flavonoids are secondary metabolites with many important functions in plants, such as acting as pigments and UV-B protectants. Although the mechanisms by which flavonoids are synthesized in the cytosol are considerably elucidated, the mechanisms by which flavonoids are sequestered into the vacuole are poorly understood. We have isolated Arabidopsis mutants with a reduced level of flavonoid pigments, named transparent testa19 (TT19) mutants. The TT19 gene was shown to encode a protein similar to glutathione S-transferase (GST) family. We described here the characterization of flavonoid transport-related factors, such as TT19, in flavonoid accumulating cells of Arabidopsis.