植物花青素苷转运机制的研究进展

Advances in plant anthocyanin transport mechanism

摘要:

花青素苷的合成过程是生物学上研究得较为清楚的代谢通路之一，但其最后阶段的分子机制即花青素苷从细胞质被转运至中央液泡的过程却仍不清晰。最近研究者们刚刚开始对类黄酮化合物的转运过程进行动态的描绘，迄今共提出了4种花青素苷转运模型，发现了4类与花青素苷转运过程相关的转运蛋白：谷胱甘肽转移酶、多药耐药抗性相关蛋白、多药和有毒化合物排出家族和同源于哺乳动物的胆红素易位酶同族体，并对这4种转运体及相关基因的功能进行了初步研究。尽管已经提出了不同的花青素苷转运模型，但仍然缺乏对不同物种不同类型花青素苷向液泡转运及在液泡中沉积的细胞学和亚细胞学研究。根据获得的信息，可以通过开展基因序列分析、基因表达分析、亚细胞定位和互补试验等，探求转运蛋白的功能及其作用位置，更好地解析植物体内花青素苷的转运机制。

Abstract:

Anthocyanin biosynthesis is one of the thoroughly studied enzymatic pathways in biology, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms of its final stage: the transport of the anthocyanins into the vacuole. A clear picture of the dynamic trafficking of flavonoids is only now beginning to emerge. So far four different models have been proposed to explain the transport of anthocyanins from biosynthetic sites to the central vacuole, and four types of transporters have been found associated with the transport of anthocyanins: glutathione S-transferase, multidrug resistance-associated protein, multidrug and toxic compound extrusion, bilitranslocase-homologue. The functions of these proteins and related genes have also been studied. Although different models have been proposed, cellular and subcellular information is still lacking for reconciliation of different lines of evidence in various anthocyanin sequestration studies. According to the information available, through sequence analysis, gene expression analysis, subcellular positioning and complementation experiments, the function and location of these transporters can be explored, and the anthocyanin transport mechanism can be better understood.