| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924951 | Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics | 2015 | 8 Pages |
•Mimulus lewisii serves as a model species in ecological and evolutionary studies.•The carotenoid composition of various Mimulus species of flowers is elucidated.•Expression levels of carotenoid biosynthetic genes in Mimulus flowers are reported.
The genus Mimulus has been used as a model system in a wide range of ecological and evolutionary studies and contains many species with carotenoid pigmented flowers. However, the detailed carotenoid composition of these flowers has never been reported. In this paper the floral carotenoid composition of 11 Mimulus species are characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and chemical methods with a particular focus on the genetic model species, Mimulus lewisii. M. lewisii flowers have five major carotenoids: antheraxanthin, violaxanthin, neoxanthin, and the unique allenic carotenoids, deepoxyneoxanthin and mimulaxanthin. This carotenoid profile is consistent with the expression levels of putative carotenoid biosynthetic genes in the M. lewisii flower. The other 10 species possess the same five carotenoids or a subset of these. Comparison of the carotenoid profiles among species in a phylogenetic context provides new insights into the biosynthesis and evolution of deepoxyneoxanthin and mimulaxanthin. This work also lays the foundation for future studies regarding transcriptional control of the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway in Mimulus flowers.
