MYB Repressors as Regulators of Phenylpropanoid Metabolism in Plants

Dawei Ma; C Peter Constabel

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2018.12.003

MYB Repressors as Regulators of Phenylpropanoid Metabolism in Plants

Trends Plant Sci. 2019 Mar;24(3):275-289. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2018.12.003. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Authors

Dawei Ma¹, C Peter Constabel²

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Forest Biology and Department of Biology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada.
² Centre for Forest Biology and Department of Biology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada. Electronic address: cpc@uvic.ca.

PMID: 30704824
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2018.12.003

Abstract

The phenylpropanoid pathway gives rise to lignin, flavonoids, and other metabolites and is regulated by MYB transcription factors. Many R2R3-MYB transcriptional activators are known, but the prevalence of MYB repressors has only recently become recognized. This review article summarizes recent progress on function and mechanism of these MYB repressors. The characterized phenylpropanoid R2R3-MYB repressors comprise two phylogenetic clades that act on the lignin and general phenylpropanoid genes, or the flavonoid genes, respectively; anthocyanin R3-MYB repressors form a separate clade. While some flavonoid MYBs repressors can bind basic-helix-loop-helix factors and disrupt the MBW complex, for the lignin repressor MYBs interactions with promoter cis-elements have been demonstrated. The role of the conserved repression motifs that define the MYB repressors is not yet known, however.

Keywords: flavonoid; gene expression; lignin; repressor; transcription factor.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Anthocyanins
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
Phylogeny
Plant Proteins*
Plants, Genetically Modified
Transcription Factors*

Substances

Anthocyanins
Plant Proteins
Transcription Factors