Identification of Transcription Factors Involved in Expression of Enzymes in the Isoprenoid Biosynthetic Pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract

Plant isoprenoids are of physiological and biotechnological importance. All isoprenids are derived from linear isoprenoids synthesized by the sequential condensation of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP). In plants, IPP is biosynthesized via two separate pathways, the cytosolic mevalonate pathway and the plastidial non-mevalonate pathway (MEP pathway). A regulatory mechanism for the IPP biosynthesis in plants has been hardly elucidated. To identify transcriptional regulators involved in the expression of genes for enzymes in the MEP pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana, we screened transcription factors co-expressed with the genes for the MEP pathway enzymes based on microarray data of AtGeneExpress. Among them, genes showed similar expression patterns to the MEP pathway genes under a photo-irradiation cycle were selected as candidates. T-DNA-tagged mutations of these genes, such as putative zinc finger-type transcription factors, showed significant change in the expression of the MEP pathway genes as well as in the accumulations of total carotenoids and chlorophylls.