Genetic Profile of Glucosinolate Biosynthesis

Abstract

Recent advances in science have clarified the biosynthesis pathway and functional role of secondary metabolites. They play a major role not only for completion of the plant life cycle but also for communication with other organisms. In Brassicaceae, including radish, the most well-characterized secondary metabolite is glucosinolate. Glucosinolates are sulfur-containing metabolite and their associated degradation products have distinctive benefits for human diet and defense against pests. Plants produce approximately 200 types of different glucosinolates and those from different species show great diversity, with their contents being affected by the environment, cultivation conditions, and genetic background. The profile of glucosinolates in radish is attractive, but its biosynthesis pathway remains unclear. Here, we highlight recent progress in glucosinolate research of model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. To compare researches on glucosinolate between radish and A. thaliana, we further discuss with specificity the nature of glucosinolate in radish. 10.1 Introduction Glucosinolates are well-characterized plant secondary metabolites found in Brassicaceae (e.g., radish, cabbage, rapeseed, and Arabidopsis) and related plant families. An overview of the biosynthesis pathway of Arabidopsis thaliana was presented based on the observed natural variation in glucosinolate composition and genetic analysis. Furthermore, the advent of next-generation sequencing techniques allows for transcriptome analysis of Brassicaceae plants, which reveal the similarities and differences in