Description
Isoleucine (Ile) is one of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) that are essential substrates for protein synthesis in all organisms. In this study, we characterized an Arabidopsis mutant, lib (low isoleucine biosynthesis), that has defects in both cell proliferation and cell expansion processes during root development. This mutant carries a mutation in OMR1 gene that encodes a threonine deaminase/dehydratase (TD) which results in a defect in isoleucine production. Microarray analysis indicated that the partial deficiency of Ile in the lib mutant triggers a decrease in transcript levels of the genes encoding the major enzymes involved in the BCAA degradation pathway; the analysis also indicated that many genes involved in the biosynthesis of methionine-derived glucosinolates are up-regulated.