Abstract
BackgroundAnthocyanins perform diverse biological functions in plants and are beneficial to human health. Leaf color is the most important trait of ornamental kale and the characteristics of changes in leaf color make it an ideal material to elucidate genetic mechanisms of anthocyanins accumulation in Brassica oleracea. To elucidate the anthocyanin distribution, metabolic profiles and differentially expressed anthocyanin biosynthetic genes between different colored accessions can pave the way for understanding the genetic regulatory mechanisms of anthocyanin biosynthesis and accumulation in ornamental kale.ResultsIn this study, anthocyanin distributions in red- and white-leaved ornamental kale accessions were determined. Thirty-four anthocyanins were detected in the red-leaved accession. The complete set of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes in the B. oleracea reference genome was identified and differential expression analysis based on RNA-seq was conducted. Eighty-one anthocyanin biosynthetic genes were identified in the B. oleracea reference genome. The expression patterns and differential expressions of these genes in different leaf types indicated that late biosynthetic genes (BoDFR1, BoANS1 and 2, and BoUGT79B1.1), positive regulatory genes (BoTTG1, BoTT8, and Bol012528), a negative regulatory gene (BoMYBL2.1), and transport genes (BoTT19.1 and BoTT19.2) may play roles in anthocyanin accumulation in ornamental kale. A genetic regulatory network of anthocyanin accumulation in ornamental kale was constructed.ConclusionsThe distribution of pigments and anthocyanin profiles explained the leaf color phenotypes of ornamental kales. The identification of key genes and construction of genetic regulatory network in anthocyanin accumulation in ornamental kale elucidated the genetic basis of leaf color variants. These findings enhance the understanding of the genetic mechanisms and regulatory network of anthocyanin accumulation in B. oleracea, and provide a theoretical basis for breeding new cultivars of Brassica vegetables with enhanced ornamental and nutritional value.
Highlights
Anthocyanins perform diverse biological functions in plants and are beneficial to human health
Anthocyanin distribution in red- and white-leaved ornamental kales We observed that the ornamental kales began to show color development, i.e. the newly developing leaves became red or white, when the minimum temperature decreased below 10 °C
The present phenotypic assessment and anthocyanins profile and contents analysis illustrated the relationship between the color phenotype and anthocyanin accumulation of the leaves, and provides a foundation to elucidate the genetic mechanism of leaf coloration and anthocyanin biosynthesis in B. oleracea
Summary
Anthocyanins perform diverse biological functions in plants and are beneficial to human health. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the biosynthesis, regulation, and transport of anthocyanins, the majority of the structural and regulatory genes involved in anthocyanin synthesis, have been identified and functionally characterized in the last two decades [3, 16, 38]. These studies have made important contributions to the comprehensive understanding of anthocyanin biosynthesis and have revealed the accumulation and metabolic profiles of anthocyanins in Arabidopsis. The EBGs, which include CHS (chalcone synthase), CHI (chalcone isomerase), F3H (flavanone 3-hydroxylase), F3′H (flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase), and FLS (flavonol synthase), lead to the production of flavonols and other flavonoid compounds, whereas the LBGs, which include DFR (dihydroflavonol-4-reductase), ANS (anthocyanidin synthase), and UFGT (UDP-glucose: flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase), lead to the production of anthocyanins [16]
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