Abstract
In this study, a gene with a full-length cDNA of 1422 bp encoding 473 amino acids, designated RrGT2, was isolated from R. rugosa ‘Zizhi’ and then functionally characterized. RrGT2 transcripts were detected in various tissues and were proved that their expression patterns corresponded with anthocyanins accumulation. Functional verification of RrGT2 in R. rugosa was performed via VIGS. When RrGT2 was silenced, the Rosa plants displayed a pale petal color phenotype. The detection results showed that the expression of RrGT2 was significantly downregulated, which was consistent with the decrease of all anthocyanins; while the expression of six key upstream structural genes was normal. Additionally, the in vivo function of RrGT2 was investigated via its overexpression in tobacco. In transgenic tobacco plants expressing RrGT2, anthocyanin accumulation was induced in the flowers, indicating that RrGT2 could encode a functional GT protein for anthocyanin biosynthesis and could function in other species. The application of VIGS in transgenic tobacco resulted in the treated tobacco plants presenting flowers whose phenotypes were lighter in color than those of normal plants. These results also validated and affirmed previous conclusions. Therefore, we speculated that glycosylation of RrGT2 plays a crucial role in anthocyanin biosynthesis in R. rugosa.
Highlights
Rosa rugosa is an important ornamental plant species that belongs to the genus Rosa in the family Rosaceae
Our results demonstrated that RrGT2 has all the conserved amino acid residues that are typical of the GT enzyme
Transcript analysis revealed that RrGT2 was expressed in specific tissues and was developmentally regulated, suggesting that RrGT2 might act as a modified enzyme in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway
Summary
Rosa rugosa is an important ornamental plant species that belongs to the genus Rosa in the family Rosaceae. This species is native to China and is widely distributed worldwide. Due to the decrease in wild R. rugosa resources and the lack of natural variation in recent years, the existing R. rugosa varieties can no longer meet the various needs of gardening applications [1]. Analysis of the pigment composition of rose varieties and the study of the expression characteristics of the key genes encoding enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of rose pigments are important prerequisites for the molecular breeding of rose color traits [8]. Less anthocyanin-related research has been conducted in rose than in those species
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