Cloning and expression analyses of the anthocyanin biosynthetic genes in mulberry plants

Mol Genet Genomics. 2014 Oct;289(5):783-93. doi: 10.1007/s00438-014-0851-3. Epub 2014 Apr 21.

Abstract

Anthocyanins are natural food colorants produced by plants that play important roles in their growth and development. Mulberry fruits are rich in anthocyanins, which are the most important active components of mulberry and have many potentially beneficial effects on human health. The study of anthocyanin biosynthesis will bring benefits for quality improvement and industrial exploration of mulberry fruits. In the present study, nine putative genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in mulberry plants were identified and cloned. Sequence analysis revealed that the mulberry anthocyanin biosynthetic genes were conserved and had counterparts in other plants. Spatial transcriptional analysis showed detectable expression of eight of these genes in different tissues. The results of expression and UPLC analyses in two mulberry cultivars with differently colored fruit indicated that anthocyanin concentrations correlated with the expression levels of genes associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis including CHS1, CHI, F3H1, F3'H1, and ANS during the fruit ripening process. The present studies provide insight into anthocyanin biosynthesis in mulberry plants and may facilitate genetic engineering for improvement of the anthocyanin content in mulberry fruit.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acyltransferases / biosynthesis
  • Acyltransferases / genetics
  • Alcohol Oxidoreductases / biosynthesis
  • Alcohol Oxidoreductases / genetics
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Anthocyanins / biosynthesis*
  • Biosynthetic Pathways
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Flowers / enzymology
  • Flowers / genetics
  • Flowers / growth & development
  • Fruit / genetics*
  • Fruit / growth & development
  • Fruit / metabolism
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Mixed Function Oxygenases / biosynthesis
  • Mixed Function Oxygenases / genetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Morus / enzymology
  • Morus / genetics*
  • Morus / growth & development
  • Plant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Plant Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • Anthocyanins
  • Plant Proteins
  • Mixed Function Oxygenases
  • Alcohol Oxidoreductases
  • dihydroflavanol 4-reductase
  • Acyltransferases
  • flavanone synthetase

Associated data

  • GENBANK/KF438041
  • GENBANK/KF438042
  • GENBANK/KF438043
  • GENBANK/KF438044
  • GENBANK/KF438045
  • GENBANK/KF438046
  • GENBANK/KF438047
  • GENBANK/KF438048