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Main research interests

Flavonoids are known to protect the plant from environmental biotic and abiotic stresses. Flavonoids from Arabidopsis seeds are condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins), located specifically in the seed coat, and flavonols, present in all seed compartments. These polyphenolic secondary metabolites have previously been shown to reinforce seed coat-imposed dormancy and seed longevity, however the mechanisms involved are still unclear. Oxidized tannins confer a brown colour to seeds. We use transparent testa mutants affected in flavonoid metabolism to identify and characterize various actors of the biosynthetic pathway, particularly those involved in trafficking and subcellular compartmentation, and to analyse the function of flavonoids in seed physiology.

Selection of 3 major recent publications

Marinova K., Pourcel L., Weder B., Schwarz M., Barron D., Routaboul J.M., Debeaujon I. and Klein M. (2007) The Arabidopsis MATE transporter TT12 acts as a vacuolar flavonoid/H⁺-antiporter active in proanthocyanidin-accumulating cells of the seed coat. Plant Cell 19: 2023-2038.

Pourcel L., Routaboul J.-M., Kerhoas L., Caboche M., Lepiniec L., Debeaujon I. (2005) TRANSPARENT TESTA 10 encodes a laccase-like enzyme involved in oxidative polymerization of flavonoids in Arabidopsis seed coat. Plant Cell 17 : 2966-2980.

Debeaujon I., Nesi N., Perez P., Devic M., Grandjean O., Caboche M., Lepiniec L. (2003) Proanthocyanidin-accumulating cells in Arabidopsis testa: regulation of differentiation and role in seed development. Plant Cell 15: 2514-2531.

Address

Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin
Pôle Reproduction et Graines
UMR 1318 INRA-AgroParisTech
Route de Saint Cyr
78026 Versailles cedex

France