The colorless flavonoids of Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae). I. A model system to study the orthodihydroxy structure

The orthodihydroxy structure may mediate flavonoid coloration or antioxidant activity, making it of interest to floral or health food industries, respectively. In the first of two companion papers, the authors demonstrate a model system to study the orthodihydroxy structure in colorless flavonoids of Arabidopsis, with tools similar to those used upon the colored flavonoids. The system includes a fluorescent staining procedure to visualize colorless orthodihydroxy flavonoids at a subcellular level and to screen seedlings for rare genetic recombinants. The system also includes mutant lines to study the synthesis of colorless orthodihydroxy flavonoids, their potential role as antioxidants, and their potential risk as oxidative mutagens.