Complex Assembly and Metabolic Profiling of Arabidopsis thaliana Plants Overexpressing Vitamin B6 Biosynthesis Proteins

In plants, vitamin B-6 biosynthesis requires the activity of PDX1 and PDX2 proteins. Arabidopsis thaliana encodes for three PDX1 proteins, named PDX1.1, 1.2, and 1.3, but only one PDX2. Here, we show in planta complex assembly of PDX proteins, based on split-YFP and FPLC assays, and can demonstrate their presence in higher complexes of around 750 kDa. Metabolic profiling of plants ectopically expressing the different PDX proteins indicates a negative influence of PDX1.2 on vitamin B-6 biosynthesis and a correlation between aberrant vitamin B6 content, PDX1 gene expression, and light sensitivity specifically for PDX1.3. These findings provide first insights into in planta vitamin B-6 synthase complex assembly and new information on how the different PDX proteins affect plant metabolism.