The influence of nitrogen on compounds and quality of Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato

Abstract

Part A: The influence of nitrogen on compounds and quality of Arabidopsis thaliana Flavonoids are secondary metabolites in plants that are thought to have beneficial effects on human health, as well as importance for the plants resistance to stress andathogens. MYBL2 and CPC are small MYB proteins that are thought to act as inhibitors in anthocyanin syntesis. TRY is a close homolog of CPC and could also be a candidate in anthocyanin accumulation. The objective of this study was to test of expression of these MYB proteins are influenced by nitrogen depletion and other stress factors, like light intensity. R3 MYB factors TCL, ETC1, ETC2 and ETC3 (CPL3) were also included. The study showed that the MYB proteins MYBL2, CPC and TRY are influenced by nitrogen depletion and light intensity. The results indicate that MYBL2 is an inhibitor but more analysis must be done before making a conclusion. CPC did not follow the same trend as MYBL2 and might therefore not be an inhibitor in anthocyanin synthesis. TRY followed mostly the same pattern as MYBL2 and is therefore more likely to be a negative regulator in anthocyanin accumulation. The expression of the genes TCL1, ETC1, ETC2 and ETC3 (CPL3) showed interesting trends that could indicate that they have a role in anthocyanin synthesis. Further studies must though be provided before a conclusion can be made. [...]