Weed Biology and Management (2014) 14, 167-177

Lijuan Chen, Huiming Guo, Yi Lin, Yulun Wu and Hongmei Cheng (2014)
Molecular cloning and characterization of the cinnamate 4-hydroxylase gene from Eupatorium adenophorum
Weed Biology and Management 14 (3), 167-177
Abstract: Cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (CA4H), a cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase, plays crucial roles in phenylpropanoid metabolism and plant defense. Previously, the authors showed that the expression of CA4H was induced in response to an allelopathic substance in Eupatorium adenophorum. Here, the full-length cDNA of EaCA4H was cloned by using rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The 1518 bp open reading frame of EaCA4H was deduced to encode a protein of 505 amino acid residues. Like other CA4H proteins, the predicted EaCA4H polypeptides contained conserved domains of cytochrome P450. A Southern blot analysis indicated that at least five copies of EaCA4H exists in the genome of E. adenophorum. Subcellular localization revealed nuclear-localized EaCA4H–green fluorescent protein fusion protein in onion epidermal cells. Heterologous silencing of endogenous CA4H in tobacco by a conserved EaCA4H fragment resulted in reduced expressions of key enzymatic genes and the production of downstream flavonoids in the phenylpropanoid pathway. Intriguingly, similar effects were observed in transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing EaCA4H. Altogether, the results indicate that the disturbed expression of CA4H in plants leads to relatively low expression levels of key enzymatic genes and the accumulation of the flavonoids that are involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Hongmei Cheng

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Ageratina adenophora (weed)