Abstract
Cultivated amaranths are crops with an unrealized agronomical potential despite their high nutritional value and nutraceutic properties of their seeds and/ or leaves. They tolerate growing conditions unsuitable for cereals, and are tolerant to biotic aggressors. Several Amaranthus species are abundant of sources of secondary metabolites, mostly phenylpropanoids, predominantly in seeds and leaves, many of which may confer health benefits associated with their antioxidant properties. They could also act as defensive compounds against predators or pathogens. Recent biochemical and molecular approaches partly defined the mechanisms responsible for grain amaranth´s tolerance against biotic stress. However, the role played by secondary metabolites in (a)biotic stress amelioration in amaranth is practically unknown. Our group has identified several genes coding for enzymes involved in secondary metabolism pathways in A. hypochondriacus, in addition to related regulatory transcription factors. More than 50% of these genes involve the phenylpropanoid pathway. In this chapter, the role played by this pathway in (a)biotic stress amelioration in plants will be briefly reviewed, followed by an examination of its involvement in the conferral of nutraceutic properties to amaranth plants. A description of the progress obtained so far regarding the characterization of phenylpropanoid genes in grain amaranth will close this chapter.
Keywords
- (a)biotic stress
- grain amaranth
- phenylpropanoids
1. Introduction
Species belonging to the Amaranthaceae compose a diverse and interesting family of plants. They can develop in highly contrasting habitats, from arid and semi-arid zones, where they can survive in sandy alkaline and/ or serpentine soils, to disturbed tropical forests. A minority are found in aquatic, semi-aquatic or marine environments. Their high affinity to saline conditions stems, in part, from to the weedy nature of most of the species that constitute the
The
In this chapter, we shall first review the role played by phenylpropanoid pathway in the amelioration of both biotic and abiotic stress in plants. Then, we shall proceed to describe the state of the art with regard to the phenylpropanoid pathway in
2. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)
2.1. Brief description of their ubiquitous and malignant role in plant stress and the antioxidant defense mechanisms induced for their control — What is known regarding amelioration of ROS-related damage in amaranth plants during stress?
The abundance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) tends to increase in the tissues of plants exposed to diverse environmental challenges including contact with heavy metal contaminants in soil, water or salinity stress, which is often accompanied by high light and temperature, and nutrient deficiency [16]. Most stress conditions in plants cause an accumulation of ROS, such as superoxide ion, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen-containing radicals, and others. These chemical entities can produce extensive oxidative damage in the apoplastic compartment and may also harm cellular membranes by lipid peroxidation. Additionally, they can have an impact on ion homeostasis mechanisms, which are crucial for many stress tolerance mechanisms, by interfering with ion fluxes [17]. ROS detoxification frequently involves the combined action of both antioxidant metabolites such as ascorbate, glutathione, tocopherols, and ROS-detoxifying enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT) [18,19]. In this sense, overproduction of antioxidants in response to drought-induced oxidative stress has been frequently found to be associated with the drought stress tolerance of different plant species [20,21]. Also, enhanced drought tolerance has been generated in several different transgenic plants transformed with genes encoding diverse types of antioxidant-related enzymes or metabolites (e.g., SOD, APX, monodehydroascorbate reductase, and tocopherol cyclase, a key enzyme of tocopherol biosynthesis, [22]). Regarding grain amaranth, a series of proteomic studies performed in plants exposed to drought and saline stress detected the accumulation of various antioxidant enzymes, similar to those mentioned above [23,24]. In addition, the participation of antioxidant genes, such as
Glycine betalaine (GB) is a quaternary ammonium compound that acts as an osmolite with protective functions in plants subjected to the osmotic stress normally produced under drought, high temperature and/ or excessive salinity conditions. GB accumulation in the cytoplasm reduces ion toxicity, and ameliorates the highly damaging effects caused by the usually simultaneous presence of dehydration, salinity, and extreme temperature stresses. The protective effect is proposed to be exerted by the stabilization of macromolecular structures, and/ or by the protection of chloroplasts, particularly the photosystem II complex. The latter is believed to involve the thermodynamic stabilization of the indirect interaction of extrinsic photosystem II complex proteins with membrane phosphatidylcholine moieties [25]. GB is synthesized by the two-step oxidation of choline. The first step is catalyzed by choline monooxygenase, followed by the action of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase. Both genes have been described in different amaranth species [12,26,27], whereas the presence of GB has been reported in all Amaranthaceae species examined so far, with the exception of
2.2. Betacyanins in amaranth: More than pigments?
Betalains are water-soluble, nitrogen-containing pigments that are found only in one group of angiosperms, the Caryophyllales. For reasons that remain unresolved, they have never been found jointly with anthocyanins in the same plant [29,30]. This particular trait has been employed for chemo-taxonomical purposes. These pigments can be divided into the red-violet betacyanins and the yellow betaxanthins. Both are immonium conjugates of betalamic acid covalently bonded with cyclo-dihydroxyphenylalanine (cDOPA) glucosides, which can undergo further acylations [31–33]. These pigments are possibly needed for the optical attraction of pollinators and seed dispersers. Regarding stress, a protective role against accumulating ROS has been inferred from a number of studies [34–36] whereas the betacyanin amaranthine has also been proposed to exert protective effects against photo-oxidative damage in
Recently, an analysis of key genes/ enzymes of the betacyanin biosynthetic pathway in
In addition to pigments, diverse phytochemical studies have shown that amaranth plants are capable of synthetizing a notable diversity of secondary metabolites [3,38,39]. Although many of these compounds are not considered to be essential for the primary needs of the plant, they are certainly required for survival in and/ or adaptation to challenging environmental conditions. Many of these compounds may be employed in amaranth and other plants as signaling compounds, in defense and/ or for communication with other organisms, such as pollinators [40–44].
The most commonly found secondary metabolite families found in amaranth and related species are phenylpropanoids, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and their related amides, followed by alkaloids and terpenoids. From an anthropocentric perspective, some of these chemicals, including betacyanins, flavonoids polyphenols, and phenolic acids, are responsible for conferring amaranth and quinoa tissues with the bioactive antioxidant activity associated with their well-documented health benefit effects [3,38,45–49].
3. Phenylpropanoid secondary metabolites
Plants have accumulated a great diversity of phenolic compounds as a result of their long process of evolutionary adaptation. Approximately 40% of these compounds are derived from the highly diverse phenylpropanoid metabolism. The phenylpropanoid compounds constitute a highly diverse assortment of phenylalanine-derived secondary metabolites. These include flavonoids, which are generally sub classified into the anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols, isoflavonoids, phlobaphenes, flavanones, and flavones subgroups, which are found in the majority of higher plants, in addition to the aurone subgroup, which is widespread, but not ubiquitous. Also included are monolignols, lignans, coumarins, phenolic acids, quinines, stilbenoids, and xanthones. Other phenolics include alkylmethoxyphenols, alkylphenols, curcuminoids, furacoumarins, hydroxybenzaldehydes, hydroxybenzoketones, hydroxycinnamaldehydes, hydroxycoumarins, hydroxyphenylpropenes, methoxyphenols, naphthoquinones, phenolic terpenes, and tyrosols.
Most of the flowers and fruits pigments employed for pollinator attraction and seed dispersal are water-soluble anthocyanins [50]. Proanthocyanidins, or condensed tannins, are colorless flavonoid polymers produced by the condensation of flavan-3-ol units [51]. Similarly colorless are the abundant flavonols which are usually found in the form of mono-, di-, or triglycosides [52]. Isoflavonoids and phlobaphenes are groups of flavonoids characterized by being predominantly found in the Papilionoideae family [53] or by their red pigmentation which results from the polymerization of flavan-4-ols [54], respectively. Based on their carbon skeleton, the ubiquitous phenolic acids can belong to the hydroxycinnamic acid type (chlorogenic, ferulic, rosmarinic, and sinapic acids) or to the hydroxybenzoic acid type (p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, and protocatechuic acids). Finally, the stilbenes represent a small family of phenylpropanoid metabolites dispersed in over 70 unrelated plant species [55–57]. Interestingly, the latter compounds are induced in response to several biotic and abiotic stimuli or by functionally related elicitors, such as methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and ethylene. Flavonoids are also involved in the regulation of auxin transport [58–60] and participate in the chemical dialog established between the plant roots and nitrogen-fixing bacteria and in signaling pathways designed to modulate ROS levels in plant tissues [61,62]. These compounds are also determining factors of male fertility and precursors for the synthesis of lignin [63–65]. The latter is an aromatic heteropolymer that confers mechanical strength to the cell wall and rigidity to plant stems, whose synthesis involves the assembly of p-coumaryl, coniferyl, and sinapyl alcohol monolignols. Lignin is also a waterproof insulator for cell walls and, as such, facilitates the transport and assimilation of water through the vascular system. It also provides protection against wounding, UV light, and pathogen attack [66].
As noted, phenylpropanoids have notable structural and biological function diversity. In terms of defense in plants, phenylpropanoids can be classified into three broad categories according to their function. Those having signaling activity, those known as phytoanticipins, which are part of the basal defensive arsenal of the plant and constitutively accumulate in certain plants tissues, and those whose
3.1. Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis: A profusely branched pathway
Phenylpropanoids contain at least one aromatic ring with one or more hydroxyl groups, and are synthesized via the shikimate pathway alone or in combination with the mevalonate pathway. The first three steps in the synthesis of phenylpropanoid-derived compounds are catalyzed by phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H), and 4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase (4CL), collectively referred to as the general phenylpropanoid pathway (GPP). GPP products then serve as precursors for phenylpropanoid-derived compounds [71,72].
The deamination of phenylalanine to cinnamic acid catalyzed by phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, EC 4-3.1-5) is the initial step shared by all phenylpropanoid secondary metabolites. PAL is a conserved homotetrameric protein that is a key enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway of higher plants [73–76]. PAL enzymes are grouped as families having many isoforms that are responsive to different developmental and environmental stimuli [77,78].
Cinnamate is the basic structure from which simple phenylpropanoids with the basic C6–C3 carbon skeleton of phenylalanine are produced, via a series of hydroxylation, methylation, and dehydration reactions. This group includes compounds such as p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic, and sinapic acids and simple coumarins, which rarely accumulate as free acids inside plant cells, being usually conjugated to sugars, cell wall carbohydrates, or organic acids. Salicylic, benzoic, and other acids are uncharacteristic phenylpropanoids that lack the three-carbon side chain, even though they originate from cinnamate and p-coumarate, whereas a large number of stress-induced phenylpropanoids are derived from the C15 flavonoid skeleton, which is synthesized via the chalcone synthase (CHS)-catalyzed condensation of p-coumaroyl-coenzyme A (COA) and three molecules of malonyl-COA. The tetrahydroxychalcone product resulting from the CHS-catalyzed step in most plants is further converted to other flavonoids, such as flavones, flavanones, flavanols, anthocyanins, and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins (Figure 1) [67,68]. Lignin and suberin represent an increased level of complexity, since they are large polymers, constructed from monolignol phenylpropanoid precursors, whose composition varies from species to species.

Figure 1.
Schematic representation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. The image is modified from the original version in [
3.2. Regulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis: A complex scenario
The biosynthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites, including phenylpropanoids, are usually tissue- and developmental-stage-specific. As mentioned above, phenylpropanoids can be present as pigments in leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds or participate in the establishment of mutualistic or detrimental interactions either with beneficial fungi or bacteria or with pathogenic oomycetes [79]. They can participate in the synthesis of lignins and related fibrous materials associated with changes in the cell wall occurring concomitantly with development, in response to stress [66], or in the determination of pollen function. The latter involves the conjugation of polyamines with hydroxycinnamic acid [63–65,80–82]. Numerous factors mediate the expression of phenylpropanoid genes, including sugar levels, transcription factor (TF) regulation, and diverse types of stress. Sucrose, for instance, has a dual function, first by providing carbon for phenylpropanoid metabolism, and second, by modulating transcriptional and post-translational regulation of many pigment-related genes [83,84]. Recently, a sugar-related regulatory loop was described in which the induction, by sucrose, of AN1, a MYB TF that activates the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway, was self-regulated by the increased sucrolytic activity induced in parallel by the action of AN1 [85]. Structural variability in secondary metabolism is also determined by post-translational chemical modifications of the primary chemical structure by diverse reactions. This is a mechanism that profoundly alters the biological activity of phenylpropanoid compounds via its ability to modify various critical biochemical parameters, including stability, solubility, and/or localization within the cell. For instance, the glycosylation of hydroxycinnamic acids was found to have an important participation during N-limiting stress conditions in
Controlled transcription of biosynthetic genes is one major mechanism regulating secondary metabolite production in plant cells. Several TFs involved in the regulation of metabolic pathway genes have been isolated and studied. Synthesis of more than one class of phenylpropanoid-derived compounds is predominantly under the control of V-myb myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (MYB) proteins of the R2R3-MYB class that can act both as transcriptional activators and repressors [92]. The participation of these TFs in many phenylpropanoid-related processes has been extensively recorded in various plant species. In Arabidopsis, several R2R3-MYB members have been implicated as positive regulators of lignin synthesis. For instance, the secondary cell wall-associated AtSND1 protein, in association with related proteins, starts a cascade of events that regulate secondary cell wall formation by inducing the expression of the
Complex formation, initiated by the activation of R2R3-MYB genes can be induced by environmental stress conditions or in response to developmental cues. Known targets of this complex are genes encoding dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), bHLH2, and, curiously, two MYB repressors whose activation leads to a self-regulatory feedback repression loop [105]. The AtDOF4-2, BrMYB4, and AtMYB4 TFs have been reported also as negative regulators of flavonoid and lignan biosynthesis [80,106,107]. In Arabidopsis, anthocyanin biosynthesis via the MBW complex has been demonstrated to be stimulated in response to light, sucrose, nitrogen, and JA [83,108–110].
In addition, anthocyanin patterning and spatial localization are mainly determined by R2R3-three subgroups of MYB activators, many of which have been identified in plants [92]. The MYB, bHLH, and WDR transcription factors have also been shown to be prevalent in the regulation of proanthocyanidin genes [105,111]. Conversely, the regulation of the flavonol pathway is species-specific, and diverges from the above regulatory mechanisms by its diversity, which may require the action of either a single MYB TF, the formation of an MYB-bHLH dimer or an MBW complex. Additionally, augmented flavonol content in Arabidopsis has been found to result from the association of members of the plant-specific teosinte branched1, cycloidea, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen factor, or TCP TF family that interact with AtMYB12 and AtMYB111 [112]. Additionally, the expression of
3.3. Phenylpropanoid and other less abundant secondary metabolites in amaranth: Nutraceutical properties and suggested defensive roles
Several chemical analyses of diverse tissues of
Flavonoids | ||||||||||
Betacyanins | ||||||||||
Phenolic acids | ||||||||||
Tannins | ||||||||||
Steroids and triterpenoids | ||||||||||
Saponins | ||||||||||
Coumarins | ||||||||||
Alkaloids | ||||||||||
Amarantholidosides | ||||||||||
Polyhydroxylated nerolidols | ||||||||||
Carotenoids | ||||||||||
Chlorophylls | ||||||||||
Phytate | ||||||||||
Resinols | ||||||||||
Tocopherols and tocotrienols |
Table 1.
The diversity of secondary metabolites in amaranth.
Table 2.
Diversity of phenylpropanoid metabolites reported in different
A recent study reported a significantly variable content of bioactive substances and phenolic contents in leaves of various cultivars of
In this study, the levels of 11 different polyphenols, including three flavonoids, i.e. rutin, isoquercitrin, and nicotiflorin, and 8 phenolic acids, i.e., protocatechuic, vanillic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric, syringic, caffeic, ferulic, and salicylic acids, were analyzed in mature seeds of 18
Once more, PCA clearly identified that samples from one location (i.e., in Argentina) differed from all other experimental sites by having a higher content of most compounds analyzed. Phenolic acids were, once again, a key group of compounds since their analysis permitted the separation of the different experimental groups, while separation of both amaranth genotypes could be performed primarily by the higher contents of trigonelline and the two hydroxycinnamyl amides present in
The influence of other experimental effects on polyphenol levels, such as tissue type, ripeness, or time of harvest was demonstrated by results obtained from a two-year field study performed with various grain and foliar amaranth species, in addition to two amaranth hybrids [120]. The tissue-type effect was clearly demonstrated by results that showed a more than 300-fold difference in rutin content between seeds and leaves. This study also showed that rutin was predominantly found in mature amaranth leaves, in accordance with previous reports describing a progressive accumulation of rutin in maturing amaranth and other rutin-accumulating plants, such as common buckwheat. Genotype-dependent effects were again observed, since noticeable variations between the species and even between the varieties belonging to the same species were detected. For instance, the highest rutin contents found in
Other environmental factors, such as light, or the lack of it, have been also found to selectively influence the level of certain phenolic compounds. Thus, growth of
Aside from expected genotype- and tissue-related variations, the differences observed were also suggested to be caused by the analytical methods employed for tannin content determination. Posterior processing procedures (e.g., roasting of seeds, cooking, or blanching of leaves, etc.) were also found to be significant factors affecting tannin content in amaranth seeds or leaves. Subsequently, a pertinent study assessed that the nutraceutical value of leaves of
Two recent reports focused on direct or indirect changes in polyphenolic content in grain amaranth plants exposed to different stress conditions. The first one determined changes in the abundance of 3 flavonoid glucosides (rutin, nicotiflorin, and isoquercitin), 9 phenolic compounds (coumaric, vanillic, caffeic, syringic, ferulic, sinapic, protocatechuic, salicylic, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid) and 3 betalains (amaranthine, iso-amaranthine, and betanin) in leaves of five varieties of three grain amaranth species subjected to insect folivory, in a one-year field trial [44]. Multivariate regression analysis revealed significant and predictable differences in the chemical composition of the leaves between grain amaranth genotypes. A similar analytical approach indicated that 8 of the 15 compounds analyzed in the plants, including all 3 flavonoid glucosides, 2 betalains, and 3 phenolic acids, had significant linear relationships with insect herbivory in the field. However, the experiment was not designed to determine biological relevance of the herbivory-induced accumulation of some of these metabolites in amaranth leaves. Thus, the possibility that phenolics could have been acting as feeding deterrents, phagostimulants, digestion inhibitors, digestion stimulants, toxins, toxicity reducers, signal inhibitors, and/or signal transducers in damaged grain amaranth remained unanswered [130]. In potato (
In a related proteomic study, the upregulation of transcription factors (i.e., DOF and MIF) was found to be coupled with the downregulation of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase, an isoflavone reductase-like protein, and two different S-adenosylmethionine synthetases, which are enzymes related to secondary metabolism associated with flavonoid and lignin synthesis [23]. Based on these results, the authors suggested that repressed root growth in grain amaranth plants subjected to severe drought is an adaptive response occurring in response to decreased root lignification. This proposal is in accordance to other reports showing that roots of plants exposed to different stresses may change their lignin content and composition [132]. One possible advantage derived from reduced lignification of the roots, particularly in the elongation zone, is that it may facilitate growth recovery once drought stress has been alleviated [133].
3.4. Secondary metabolism biosynthetic pathways and related genes in amaranth: Wandering into unknown territory?
The information provided above indicates that a potentially high nutritive and medicinal benefit may be derived from the consumption of amaranth seeds and foliage, which are high in antioxidant phenolic compounds, among other health-enhancing constituents. Until recently, information about the biosynthesis of these bioactive compounds and of the genes coding for the respective biosynthetic enzymes was practically null in amaranth. However, a recent transcriptomic study of grain amaranth leaves subjected to various stress treatments [14] revealed the presence of several genes involved in secondary metabolism, mostly in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway. The rest of this chapter will concentrate on the description of their characteristics and possible functions.
The transcriptomic study permitted the identification of 95 genes that code for the enzymes that most probably form part of the secondary metabolite biosynthetic flow in
ID1 | Indole 3-glycerol phosphate lyase ( | 1 | Emission of volatile compounds related to defense [169]. |
ID1 | Anthranilate synthase ( | 2 | Production of tryptophan pathway metabolites as part of an Arabidopsis defense response (e.g., camalexin) [170, 171]. |
ID1 | 1 | Pathogen-induced transcription factor; camalexin biosynthesis [172]. | |
A2 | Berberine bridge enzymes ( | 3 | Upregulation of these genes was observed at specific stages of development and in response to osmotic stress and pathogens attack [173,174]. |
A2 | Strictosidine synthase like ( | The four SSL-coding genes in Arabidopsis are regulated individually, suggesting specific roles in basal (SSL4) and inducible (SSL5-7) plant defense mechanisms [175]. | |
A2 | Tropinone reductase ( | 4 | The |
A2 | Hyoscyamine 6-hydroxylase ( | 2 | The overexpression of |
T3 | Acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase ( | 2 | The AACT is a regulatory enzyme in isoprenoid biosynthesis involved in abiotic stress adaptation [178]. |
T3 | 3-Hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase ( | 3 | HMGR activity induced by wounding, elicitor, or pathogen challenge is correlated with increased |
T3 | 1-Deoxy-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase ( | 1 | |
T3 | Sesquiterpene synthase ( | 2 | Involved in indirect defense of maize against herbivore attack [183]. |
T3 | Squalene synthase ( | 1 | The downregulation of |
T3 | Squalene epoxidase ( | 4 | The synthesis of saponins and expression of respective genes ( |
T3 | 1 | The orthologous genes, |
Table 3.
Secondary metabolism genes identified in grain amaranth
1 ID: Indole derivates
2 A: alkaloids
3 T: terpenes
4 Number of genes detected in the grain amaranth transcriptome [14]
In this respect, the phenylpropanoid pathway is the best represented, with more than 69.5% of the above 95 biosynthesis-related genes coding for enzymes related to their biosynthesis [14]. Their position in the intricate phenylpropanoid biosynthetic reaction pathway is shown in Figure 1. Many of these genes have been amply characterized in other plant species. However, those described below code for enzymes that should be highly active, considering that, as mentioned in previous sections of this chapter, amaranth plants have been frequently found to be unusually rich in these compounds (Table 4). Thus, these particular grain amaranth enzymes and/or genes could have attractive biochemical and/or regulatory properties that could offer potentially important biotechnological applications. In addition, four TFs similar to those described above as key regulators of this biosynthetic pathway are described.
Catequin | 0.15-0.23 | 0.07-0.22 | - |
Rutin | 0.38-0.47 | 0.17-0.30 | 4.0-10 (4798-15531)* |
Quercetin/isoquercetin | - | 0.1-0.65 | 0.3-0.5 (27.8-279.5)* |
Nicotiflorin | - | - | 4.8-7.2 (141-1281)* |
Table 4.
Flavonoid content in amaranth, compared to other grain-producing C4 species
*Numbers in parentheses indicate the quantity of these compounds detected in leaves
As already mentioned, PAL catalyzes the first committed step of the phenylpropanoid pathway, which is shared by all compounds produced by downstream ramifications of the pathway (Figure 1). It also represents a bifurcation point between primary and secondary metabolism. Diverse environmental stimuli and developmental programs regulate PAL. It is induced by lignin demands for cell wall fortification and by both biotic (e.g., pathogen and insect damage) and abiotic stresses (e.g., UV irradiation, low temperatures, and nutrient deficiency) [134,135]. PAL activity has been found in all the higher plants analyzed so far, and in some fungi and a few bacteria, but not in animals. In all species studied,
A number of R2R3 MYB transcription factors are known to be able to transactivate

Figure 2.
Phylogenetic trees of transcription factors from amaranth and other species: MYB (A), bHLH (B), and WD40 (C).
Correspondingly, the
Cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) is the second key enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway and catalyzes the hydroxylation of
The enzyme 4-coumaric acid CoA ligase (4CL) plays an important role in the biosynthesis of lignin precursors such as hydroxycinnamate-CoA thioesters. The

Figure 3.
Phylogenetic tree of genes encoding 4-coumarate CoA ligase from amaranth and other species.
Chalcone synthase (CHS) is another key enzyme of the flavonoid/ isoflavonoid biosynthesis pathway. Besides being part of the plant developmental program,

Figure 4.
Alignment of chalcone synthase enzymes identified in grain amaranth (AhCHS1-2) and

Figure 5.
Phylogenetic tree of genes encoding chalcone isomerase from amaranth and other species.
Flavanone 3-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.11.9), F3H, is a key enzyme in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, catalyzing the 3-hydroxylation of (2S)-flavanones, such as naringenin to dihydroflavonols. In soybean seeds the downregulation of
Tolerance to UV radiation and severe water deprivation in the extremophyte
Flavonol synthase (EC 1.14.11.23), FLS, is another relevant enzyme due to its crucial participation in the conversion of several precursors needed for different branches of the flavonoid biosynthesis. For instance, the biosynthesis of flavonols from dihydroflavonols is catalyzed by FLS, a soluble 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (2-ODD) (Figure 6). The expression is tissue- and organ-specific organ and is regulated by various light intensities, pathogen infection, and herbivore attack [134,161–163]. Silencing of the

Figure 6.
Flavonol biosynthesis in plants. The figure is modified from the original version in [
Dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR, EC 1.1.1.219), DFR, is a pivotal enzyme in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway that plays a crucial role in producing simple and condensed anthocyanins. This enzyme catalyzes the production of flavan-3, 4-diols (leucoanthocyanidins) via the reduction of three colorless dihydroflavonols, i.e., dihydrokaempferol, dihydroquercetin, and dihydromyricetin. These compounds are also intermediates of flavonol biosynthesis, occurring through the flavonol synthase reaction. These leucoanthocyanidins are subsequently converted to pelargonidin, cyanidin, and delphinidin, respectively. DFR can accept wide range of substrates, although substrate specificity of DFR has been shown to vary depending on the specific types of anthocyanins that accumulate in a given plant species. In plants, DFR can be either present as a single gene or as a multicopy gene family. Single DFR genes have been found in
Leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase (LDOX: 1.14.11.19), also called 2-oxoglutarate iron-dependent dioxygenase (2-ODD) or anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), is also involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis and catalyzes the conversion of colorless to colored leucoanthocyanidin. Expression of
As mentioned, lignin is the generic term for a large group of aromatic polymers that result from the oxidative combinatorial coupling of 4-hydroxyphenylpropanoids (Figure 7). These polymers are deposited predominantly in the secondary walls of thickened cells, making them rigid and impermeable. In addition to developmentally programmed deposition of lignin, its biosynthesis can also be induced upon various biotic and abiotic stress conditions, such as wounding, pathogen infection, metabolic stress, and perturbations in cell wall structure. Activation of the monolignol precursor biosynthesis in the apoplast requires the combined activity of enzymes such as peroxidases (POX), laccases (LAC), or other polyphenol oxidases that transfer electrons from monolignols to electron receptors. These apoplastic enzymes interact with ROS such as hydrogen peroxide or superoxide, which act as electron receptors or modulators of POX and LAC enzymes through their signaling function. Once oxidized, monolignol radicals can bind to other similarly formed radicals to form the three-dimensionally cross-linked structures that characterize lignin. This polymerization process constitutes the final step of lignin biosynthesis.

Figure 7.
The main biosynthetic route toward the monolignols p-coumaryl, coniferyl, and sinapyl alcohol (the figure is modified from the original version [
Contrary to lignin, lignans represent a structurally diverse class of plant-specialized metabolites that are ubiquitously distributed in all land plants. They are presumed to have a predominantly defensive role

Figure 8.
Lignan biosynthetic pathway. DP, dirigent protein; PLR, pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductase; SIRD, secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase. Two lignan-biosynthesis-related genes were found in grain amaranth; two of them code for
Cinnamoyl-CoA- reductase ( | 1 | In wheat, this gene is involved in pathogen defense signaling. In tomato and other plants, the repression of this gene produced severe development-related phenotypes. | [189,190] |
Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase ( | 16 | The silencing | [189,191,192] |
Caffeoyl CoA 3-O-methyltransferase ( | 3 | This gene can be highly induced by drought and cold stress, suggesting a possible role in plant abiotic stress resistance. In maize and wheat, | [193–195] |
4-Coumaroyl shikimate 3-hydroxylase/ p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase ( | 1 | C3H downregulation led to a dramatic accumulation of several glucosides of | [196] |
Caffeic acid O-methyltransferase ( | 3 | In wheat, silencing of this gene is linked to increased susceptibility to fungal pathogens, such as | [193,197] |
Ferulic acid hydroxylase ( | 2 | [198–201] | |
Hydroxycinnamoyl CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase ( | 2 | Downregulation of the HCT gene in alfalfa plants exhibited constitutive activation of defense responses, triggered by release of bioactive cell wall fragments and production of hydrogen peroxide generated as a result of impaired secondary cell wall integrity. | [202] |
Table 5.
Lignin biosynthetic pathway genes identified in grain amaranth
1 Number of genes detected in the grain amaranth transcriptome [14].
Coumarins may be subclassified as simple coumarins (benzo-α-pyrones syn 1, 2-benzopyrone), 7-oxygenated coumarins (furanocoumarins syn. furobenzo-α-pyrones or furocoumarins) or pyranocoumarins (benzodipyran-2-ones). Simple coumarins, furanocoumarins, and pyranocoumarins share the same biosynthetic pathway, whereas the most common phenylcoumarins (i.e., coumestans) originate from isoflavone. Coumarin is characterized for its pleasant vanilla-like odor. The presence of this metabolite has been reported in a diversity of plants, including members of the Fabaceae, Lauraceae, Lamiacea, Apiaceae, Asteracea, Rutaceae, and Amaranthaceae (
Finally, many stress-induced phenylpropanoids are classified as phytoalexins. These are antimicrobial compounds synthesized in response to pathogen attack. They include pterocarpans (e.g., glyceollin), isoflavans, prenylated isoflavonoids (e.g., kievitone), stilbenes, psoralens, coumarins, 3-deoxyanthocyanidins, flavonols (e.g., quercetin, kaempferol), and aurones. Most of these compounds have trivial names, such as the coumarins umbelliferone (7-hydroxycoumarin), esculetin (6, 7-dihydroxycoumarin), scopoletin (6-methoxy-7-hydroxycoumarin), and others. No phenylpropanoid phytoalexins have been reported in amaranth. Findings from a recent report [15] suggested, however, that they could be participating as part of the induced defense responses against bacterial pathogens produced by the application of defense-related inductors, such as BTH, JA, or the exposure to avirulent pathogens. This proposal is supported by the induced expression of
4. Conclusion
The several hypotheses raised by the discovery of the numerous stress-related phenylpropanoid genes in grain amaranth represents a strong incentive for the initiation and subsequent deepening of secondary metabolite studies in
Acknowledgments
Paula A. Castrillón-Arbeláez was supported financially by a one-year Post-Doctoral Fellowship awarded by the Autonomous National University of México (UNAM).