Cell-Type Specific Metabolomic Analysis of White Clover Leaves

White clover (Trifolium repensL.) is an important forage legume of temperate improved pastures. Proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins are both products of the flavonoid pathway and utilize the same metabolic intermediates. Previous studies in white clover and other species have shown that intermediate compounds can be redirected between anthocyanin- and proanthocyanidin-specific branches of this pathway by genetic modification. However, the molecular basis for this mechanism is poorly understood. White clover leaves accumulate proanthocyanidins only in glandular trichomes, but produce anthocyanins in epidermal cells. This makes white clover amenable to single cell-type studies of proanthocyanidin and anthocyanidin biosynthesis and possible interactions within the flavonoid pathway.

This study aims to improve our understanding of the mechanisms regulating anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in plants by characterising the metabolomes of specific cell types in white clover leaves.