Isolation and expression analysis of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes in Morus alba L

• Published in: Biologia plantarum Vol. 58; no. 4; pp. 618 - 626
• Main Authors: Li, J, Lü, R. -H, Zhao, A. -C, Wang, X. -L, Liu, C. -Y, Zhang, Q. -Y, Wang, X. -H, Umuhoza, D, Jin, X. -Y, Lu, C, Li, Z. -G, Yu, M. -D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer-Verlag 01.12.2014; Springer Netherlands; Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences
• Subjects: anthocyanidin synthase; anthocyanidins; anthocyanins; Biomedical and Life Sciences; biosynthesis; chalcone isomerase; chalcone synthase; cultivars; dihydroflavonol reductase; flavanone-3-hydroxylase; flowers; fruits; gene expression regulation; genes; Life Sciences; light intensity; medicine; Morus alba; mulberries; naringenin-chalcone synthase; Original Papers; phenylalanine ammonia lyase; Plant Sciences; phenylalanine ammonia lyase; flavanone-3-hydroxylase; chalcone synthase; anthocyanidin synthase; chalcone isomerase; dihydroflavonol reductase
• ISSN: 0006-3134; 1573-8264
• DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0450-5

Anthocyanins from mulberry fruits are used in medicine. However, little anthocyanin can be detected in other tissues and sometimes also mulberry fruits are colorless. The aim of this study was to investigate which gene or genes have the strongest correlation with the anthocyanin biosynthesis. The expression of several anthocyanin synthesis genes were determined in different tissues of two white and two purple fruit cultivars. Genes encoding dihydroflavonol reductase (MaDFR) and anthocyanidin synthase (MaANS) showed a high expression only in fruit tissue of purple-fruit cultivars. During the development of mulberry fruits, the anthocyanin content was well correlated with the transcripts abundance of MaDFR, MaANS, and MaCHS (encoding chalcone synthase). The skin of female mulberry flowers turns red under irradiance because of up-regulated expressions of MaCHS, MaDFR, and MaANS. These three genes may control the anthocyanin biosynthesis in mulberry and up-regulation of them may greatly increase the anthocyanin content.