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Failure to launch: the self-regulating Md-MYB10 R6 gene from apple is active in flowers but not leaves of Petunia

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Abstract

Key message

The Md - MYB10 R6 gene from apple is capable of self-regulating in heterologous host species and enhancing anthocyanin pigmentation, but the activity of MYB10 is dependent on endogenous protein partners.

Abstract

Coloured foliage due to anthocyanin pigments (bronze/red/black) is an attractive trait that is often lacking in many bedding, ornamental and horticultural plants. Apples (Malus × domestica) containing an allelic variant of the anthocyanin regulator, Md-MYB10 R6 , are highly pigmented throughout the plant, due to autoregulation by MYB10 upon its own promoter. We investigated whether Md-MYB10 R6 from apple is capable of functioning within the heterologous host Petunia hybrida to generate plants with novel pigmentation patterns. The Md-MYB10 R6 transgene (MYB10–R6 pro :MYB10:MYB10 term ) activated anthocyanin synthesis when transiently expressed in Antirrhinum rosea dorsea petals and petunia leaf discs. Stable transgenic petunias containing Md-MYB10 R6 lacked foliar pigmentation but had coloured flowers, complementing the an2 phenotype of ‘Mitchell’ petunia. The absence of foliar pigmentation was due to the failure of the Md-MYB10 R6 gene to self-activate in vegetative tissues, suggesting that additional protein partners are required for Md-MYB10 to activate target genes in this heterologous system. In petunia flowers, where endogenous components including MYB-bHLH-WDR (MBW) proteins were present, expression of the Md-MYB10 R6 promoter was initiated, allowing auto-regulation to occur and activating anthocyanin production. Md-MYB10 is capable of operating within the petunia MBW gene regulation network that controls the expression of the anthocyanin biosynthesis genes, AN1 (bHLH) and MYBx (R3-MYB repressor) in petals.

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Abbreviations

MBW:

MYB-bHLH-WDR

bHLH:

Basic-helix-loop-helix

WDR:

WD-repeat

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Acknowledgments

We thank David Lewis, Huaibi Zhang and Andrew Allan for thoughtful discussions and critique; Andrew Mullan and Belinda Diepenheim for making media; Ian King and Julie Ryan for excellent plant care; Tony Corbett for photography; Andrew McLaughlan for statistics assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand

    Murray R. Boase, Lei Wang, Hahn Ngo, Kathy E. Schwinn, Kevin M. Davies & Nick W. Albert

  2. The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 92169 Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

    Cyril Brendolise, Richard V. Espley & Roger P. Hellens

  3. Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Roger P. Hellens

  4. Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia

    Roger P. Hellens

Authors
  1. Murray R. Boase
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  2. Cyril Brendolise
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  3. Lei Wang
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  4. Hahn Ngo
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  5. Richard V. Espley
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  6. Roger P. Hellens
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  7. Kathy E. Schwinn
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  8. Kevin M. Davies
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  9. Nick W. Albert
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nick W. Albert.

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Funding

This work was supported by Plant & Food Research’s ‘Blue Skies’ fund.

Conflict of interest

CB, RPH and RVE are inventors on a patent family (based on WO2009139649) held by The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd., on the use of the MYB10 gene and promoter for commercial activities. The authors declare that they have no other conflicts of interest.

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Communicated by Q. Zhao.

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Boase, M.R., Brendolise, C., Wang, L. et al. Failure to launch: the self-regulating Md-MYB10 R6 gene from apple is active in flowers but not leaves of Petunia . Plant Cell Rep 34, 1817–1823 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-015-1827-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-015-1827-4

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