Enhancement of the anthocyanin contents of Caladium leaves and petioles via metabolic engineering with co-overexpression of AtPAP1 and ZmLc transcription factors

Ximeng Yang; Airong Li; Jing Xia; Yan Huang; Xin Lu; Gangyu Guo; Shunzhao Sui

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1186816

Enhancement of the anthocyanin contents of Caladium leaves and petioles via metabolic engineering with co-overexpression of AtPAP1 and ZmLc transcription factors

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Jun 21:14:1186816. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1186816. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Ximeng Yang¹, Airong Li¹, Jing Xia¹, Yan Huang¹, Xin Lu¹, Gangyu Guo¹, Shunzhao Sui¹

Affiliation

¹ Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Key Laboratory of Horticulture Science for Southern Mountainous Regions of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Metabolic engineering of anthocyanin synthesis is an active research area for pigment breeding and remains a research hotspot involving AtPAP1 and ZmLc transcription factors. Caladium bicolor is a desirable anthocyanin metabolic engineering receptor, with its abundant leaf color and stable genetic transformation system.

Methods: We transformed C. bicolor with AtPAP1 and ZmLc and successfully obtained transgenic plants. We then used a combination of metabolome, transcriptome, WGCNA and PPI co-expression analyses to identify differentially expressed anthocyanin components and transcripts between wild-type and transgenic lines.

Results: Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and peonidin-3-O-rutinoside are the main components of anthocyanins in the leaves and petioles of C. bicolor. Exogenous introduction of AtPAP1 and ZmLc resulted in significant changes in pelargonidins, particularly pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside and pelargonidin-3-O-rutinoside in C. bicolor. Furthermore, 5 MYB-TFs, 9 structural genes, and 5 transporters were found to be closely associated with anthocyanin synthesis and transport in C. bicolor.

Discussion: In this study, a network regulatory model of AtPAP1 and ZmLc in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis and transport in C. bicolor was proposed, which provides insights into the color formation mechanisms of C. bicolor, and lays a foundation for the precise regulation of anthocyanin metabolism and biosynthesis for economic plant pigment breeding.

Keywords: AtPAP1; Caladium bicolor; ZmLc; anthocyanin biosynthesis; metabolic engineering.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (no. XDJK2019D039 and no. XDJK2016E140). The funders had no role in the design of the study, data collection, analysis and interpretation, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.