Anthocyanin production in strawberry leaf disks

Abstract

Leaf disks of Fragaria vesca L. var. “Alpine” floated on sucrose solutions produced anthocyanin at a constant reproducible rate for several days. Light was necessary to initiate anthocyanin production and stimulated its continued synthesis which was maximal at 25–30°, and with illuminated disks, at a sucrose concentration of 0·1 molal. Much higher sucrose concentrations were required for maximum production in the dark. Dinitrophenol was an effective inhibitor of anthocyanin production at 7·5 x 10 −5 Min both light and darkness; NaF was inhibitory at 0.02 M, but only in darkness. Adenosine triphosphate stimulated production in the light only when sucrose was not supplied, but in the dark only when combined with sucrose. It was not effective if supplied at the beginning of the induction stage.