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Planta Med 2011; 77(7): 765-770
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1250566
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Original Papers
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Cloning and Functional Characterization of a Chalcone Isomerase from Trigonella foenum-graecum L.

Jian-chun Qin1 [*] , Lin Zhu1 [*] , Ming-jun Gao2 , Xian Wu1 , Hong-yu Pan1 , Yan-sheng Zhang3 , Xiang Li1 , 2
  • 1College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
  • 2Saskatoon Research Center, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Saskatoon, Canada
  • 3Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Acedamy of Science, Wuhan, China
Further Information

Publication History

received July 1, 2010 revised October 16, 2010

accepted October 25, 2010

Publication Date:
23 November 2010 (online)

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Abstract

Flavonoids belong to a group of plant natural products with variable phenolic structures and play important roles in protection against biotic and abiotic stress. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seeds and stems contain flavonol glycosides and isoflavone derivatives. Up to now, the molecular features of fenugreek flavonoid biosynthesis have not been characterized. Here we present cloning of a cDNA encoding a chalcone isomerase (namely TFGCHI‐1) from the leaves of T. foenum-graecum which convert chalcones to flavanones in vitro. Transformation of Arabidopsis loss-of-function tt5 (chi) mutant with a TFGCHI‐1 cDNA complemented tt5 and produced higher levels of flavonol glycosides than wild-type Col-0.

Key words

Trigonella foenum‐graecum L. - Leguminosae - chalcone isomerase - Arabidopsis - tt5

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1 These authors contributed equally to this work and are considered co-first authors.

Prof. Dr. Xiang Li

College of Plant Science, Jilin University

5333 Xi'An Road

Changchun, 130062

China

Phone: +86 4 31 87 83 57 24

Fax: +86 4 31 87 83 62 51

Email: li_xiang@jlu.edu.cn

Prof. Dr. Yan-sheng Zhang

Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

No. 1 Lumo Road

Wuhan, 430074

China

Phone: +86 27 87 61 70 26

Fax: +86 27 87 51 02 51

Email: zhangys@wbgcas.cn