Metabolic engineering of anthocyanins and condensed tannins in plants

• Published in: Current opinion in biotechnology Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 329 - 335
• Main Authors: Dixon, Richard A, Liu, Chenggang, Jun, Ji Hyung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2013
• Subjects: anthocyanins; Anthocyanins - biosynthesis; Anthocyanins - chemistry; Anthocyanins - metabolism; astringency; Crops, Agricultural - genetics; Crops, Agricultural - metabolism; disease resistance; flowers; forage quality; Fruit - genetics; Fruit - metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; genes; Internal Medicine; Metabolic Engineering; mutation; pigmentation; Pigmentation - genetics; Plants - genetics; Plants - metabolism; Plants, Genetically Modified - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified - metabolism; proanthocyanidins; Proanthocyanidins - biosynthesis; Proanthocyanidins - chemistry; Proanthocyanidins - metabolism; transcription (genetics); transcription factors; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 0958-1669; 1879-0429
• DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2012.07.004

Graphical abstract Highlight ► Anthocyanins and condensed tannins confer important quality traits in plants. ► The many steps of anthocyanin biosynthesis are now well understood, but the mechanism of tannin polymerization is still unclear. ► Mutations in transcription factors underlie several useful pigmentation phenotypes in crop plants. ► Anthocyanins can be engineered to high levels through ectopic expression of MYB transcription factors. ► Tannin engineering can lead to bloat-safe forage crops.