Characterization of a recently evolved flavonol-phenylacyltransferase gene provides signatures of natural light selection in Brassicaceae

Abstract

Protection from UV-B is critical for land plant survival. Here Tohge et al. show that saiginols, a novel class of flavonols that efficiently absorb UV-B, accumulate in Arabidopsisaccessions collected from high irradiance regions and identify a flavonol phenylacyltransferase gene required for saiginol production.