Chromosomal locations of genes related to flavonoid and anthocyanin production in leaf sheath of shallot. Allium cepa L. Aggregatum group.

Abstract

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses using a series of alien monosomic addition lines (AMALs) of Japanese bunching onion (Allium fistulosum L.) having extra chromosomes from shallot (A. cepa L. Aggregatum group) were performed to determine the chromosomal locations of the genes for flavonoid and anthocyanin production in leaf sheaths of A. cepa Aggregatum group. In HPLC profiles both at 360 and 520 nm, several peaks were observed in A. cepa Aggregatum group and AMAL with chromosome 5A from A. cepa Aggregatum group but no peak was observed in A. fistulosum and other AMALs. Four of the compounds observed at 360 nm were identified as known flavonoids, i.e., apigenin, kaempferol, quercetin, and rutin. Five out of the total 18 compounds at 520 nm were identified as known anthocyanins, i.e., cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-laminariobioside, peonidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-malonylglucoside, and cyanidin-3-malonyllaminariobioside. These results reveal that a group of the genes related to the flavonoid and anthocyanin production in the leaf sheath of A. cepa Aggregatum group are located on the chromosome 5A.